Heart of the Jungle
by BeeJay98
Summary: A young hunter flees Noxus to avoid conscription. His travels take him south, through Shurima and Mount Targon, until he finally finds refuge amongst one of the deadliest places in Valoran, the Kumungu. But tales can be wrong, and what should spell his death instead seems to spell a new beginning. Sweet young-lover story with mild nudity/sexual scenes later (for now at least)
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all my dear readers, I hope you are all enjoying yourselves. If not, well, I am here with something a little different for you which (hopefully) can change that. If you are enjoying yourselves, maybe I can make it better, but now I am rambling, thus I digress.**

 **Uni started up this week, and everything they tell you about it being great and there being lots of great people who share your interests, it's true! I actually am in a club which ENDORSES playing League, how amazing is that!**

 **Anyway, this story came to me the other day out of the blue. I don't play Nidalee, and I hate writing with OCs, but I kind of got started and this story just grew on me. I obviously have a thing for young love, The Heartseekers is a testament to that, but this is something different.**

 **I'm not intending this to be a massive story like Heartseekers or Sentimental, the chapters will be shorter and less story-driven, I just want this to be a sweet tale of young love. Expect cliches and really predictable sweet moments.**

 **As always, RFF to let me know what you think, particularly if you want to see more of this pairing or OCs in the future!**

 **All my love, BJ**

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Chapter 1 - Kumungu

Everything you've heard of the Kumungu is probably true. The way everything will go out of its way to end your life, from flowers whose fragrance will knock you to the floor as your insides burn, to beasts larger than Frejlordian ursine with teeth sharp enough to sever flesh, sinew and bone. These are the horror stories we tell our children at night, the nightmares that plague the warm and comfortable, curled up by the hearth in Demacia, Piltover or Noxus. They're the tales for the ignorant, those who only believe the stories of those cowardly enough to run before they have faced any real damage. For those who take that one step further, put their life in the hands of the jungle, something new is revealed. Amidst all this death and hostility, there is something one would never expect; beauty, primal and sublime. The flowers, though toxic, bloom in a thousand vibrant colours. The beasts, though vicious, form families, tenderness showing through their tough exterior. So yes, the Kumungu is deadly, but that is only half the story, the rest is one of an insurmountable love.

The story I tell you today however is not of someone born to the Kumungu, but instead of an outcast thrown into its depths. This story is of a Noxian, at least by birth. Something to understand about Noxus is that, for them, strength is everything. They pride themselves on their military prowess, and so it is an expectation that every able-bodied man agree to serve time during their life. If you are not able-bodied or refuse to serve, you may as well have declared your suicide. If the military didn't get their hands on you, poverty and starvation would. To choose not to serve is to choose not to be Noxian, and every citizen will treat you that way. You will never find a job, a family, a home, by-passers will look down on you like filth, as though your very existence is a plague. So, for a hunter growing up in a middle-class Noxian home, the expectations were certainly stacking up. At the age of thirteen, the age at which one can join the Noxian military, he began to realise the fate he would face if he remained in Noxus. In a true act of bravery, he fled, gathering up what few necessities he required before leaving his home, his family and Noxus far behind him.

He headed south, eyes on the safety of Mount Targon. However, upon arriving he was distraught to realise that Noxus still had influence, and by then he was being hunted. In desperation he fled further south still, and that is how he found himself at the entrance to the Kumungu. It was an imposing sight, trees larger than buildings and noises he could not recognise. Call it youthful ignorance or sheer bravery, but he entered the jungle. His training as a hunter had taught him to be light on his feet, and he was swiftly making his way into the jungle's depths. He wasn't entirely sure where he was heading, but after months of fleeing he was beyond caring. He ran for two days and nights without rest until, upon finding a small lake, drank his fill and fell into a long and comfortable sleep.

He awoke the next morning to the sensation of being watched, the hair on the back of his neck standing to attention as he subtly scoured the surrounding foliage. While he couldn't see anything, he knew better than to assume that meant he was alone, and so he continued his morning preparations on edge. He was hungry and desperately in need of some sustenance, although he was somewhat reluctant to attempt hunting in the Kumungu. Slinging his bow across his shoulder, he stepped back into the trees. Having taken the time to rest his senses were far more open to the little nuances he had missed the days before. He began to notice the shockingly beautiful flowers and the faint clicking of insects in the distance. He felt the sweat beading on his neck and calves, dripping down his skin to the moist, cold floor. He kept an eye out for prey as he walked, his stomach growling every now and again just as a reminder of how long it had been since his last proper meal. Just as he thought of giving up hope, he saw it, a solitary squirrel resting on the jungle floor. Instantly he drew his bow, crouching behind a nearby tree for cover as though the squirrel were going to notice him. He took a deep breath, then another, readying himself for the kill. In a swift motion, he moved around the tree and released his arrow.

The arrow flew true, but all it struck was dirt. The squirrel had run. Annoyed, he walked into the clearing, pulling his arrow from the ground. He was too angry to see the small trap to his side, or the squirrel caught in it, or the giant beast that had come to that very clearing looking for exactly what our hunter had wanted; food. It started as a low rumble but soon grew into a full-fledged roar as our hunter turned to meet the beast eye to eye. It was easily five times the size of the youth, with a single horn adorning its think skull. Its eyes were red and bloodshot, as though the creature were in a craze. The youth notched his arrow, though he knew it would do him no good. He looked behind him, contemplating the option of running, but he knew his small legs would never move him faster than the goliath in front of him. Resigning himself to a grim fate, he snarled at the beast, intimidation seeming as valid an option as any other. The beast was, unsurprisingly, unfazed and took a step forward. An arrow was fired, skimming off the tough hide of the beast as it growled in response. Another arrow was fired, again meeting its mark but to no effect. The youth took another step back, and felt the rough sensation of bark on his back as he realised he'd backed himself into a corner. In a desperate last effort, he yelled at the beast.

The sound that came out was not that of a youthful scream, but instead of a feral growl. The beast took a step back, reluctance evident on his face. There was another growl came from the surrounding bushes, causing the beast to stamp its legs in frustration, head bowed as though avoiding eye-contact with something. Then he saw it, a pair of bright, green eyes shining through the dark foliage to his right. He instinctively held his breath, praying this new creature would be friendlier than the one he was currently facing down. Then it moved, a blur leaping from the bushes and putting itself between the predator and his prey. The youth was stunned, to say the least, at the sight he beheld. The creature that was terrifying the beast was nothing more than a cougar, and a youthful one at that. The feline would have been no taller than the youth's knee, and aside from the low growling it was emitting, the creature seemed completely harmless. Now worried for the young creature's safety, the hunter drew his bow, readying another attack should he need it. However, by the time he had notched another arrow, the beast was gone, having retreated back into the surrounding jungle. The cougar was sitting, much like the dogs had done back in Noxus, staring up at the youth with a tilted expression and curious eyes. He reached out to pat the creature, which growled at him, causing him to retreat his hand. The two stayed there for some time, eying each other with mutual curiosity and wonder.

It was the cougar that moved first, flicking its tale once before pouncing off into the jungle. Still intrigued by the creature, the youth retrieved his arrows before following the creature off into the jungle, hoping that he could keep up with it.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - First Contact

The cougar was fast. Countless times the youth had lost sight of the creature, having to pick up the tale and start afresh. He was a little surprised he could always catch up, as though the cougar would wait for him to follow, a thought that seemed to give him even more drive to catch it. The sun had risen to its peak and descended again through the duration of this chase, and it wasn't until the last rays of sunlight had fallen below the horizon that, quite by accident, the hunter stumbled upon the cougar. Stepping through a small covering of leaves he tripped, hitting his foot on something sprawled along the ground. That something growled and leapt atop him, placing a small paw upon the back of his head in a show of domination. The hunter just threw his hands up.

"Alright, you got me, I'm sorry!" The cat showed no sign of understanding what he had said, but eventually it did back down, lying on the floor with its head turned away from the hunter.

The boy was entranced more than anything. The only cats he ever got to see in Noxus were property of the upper class, and little more than glorified dolls to be worn on special occasions. This was nothing like that, the way it's fur seemed to gleam in the cold light of the moon, how it held its head vigilantly upright, intelligent eyes scanning its surroundings. This creature was intelligent, primal and very dangerous, even at its obvious young age. The youthful hunter crept forward, but was caught in his actions, the cat's head turning to meet his eyes in a glare. He stopped, waiting for it to turn back around, and when it did he took another step forward, again getting caught. This time the cat stood and moved a few paces away, lying down in the same manner it had before. The boy was not deterred, again trying to sneak up on the cat. This little game of cat and mouse continued for some time before the cat grew tired of the game and growled deeply at the boy. He staggered back, still somewhat fearful of the young cat, and accidentally slipped, falling onto his ass. It hurt a lot, and he was really worried he had damaged something badly, which he found ironic in a way; surviving being attacked by a giant beast only to die from an injury he gained slipping in the jungle. He tried to sit up, but a jolt of pain through his back stopped him as he let out a scream. As soon as the first few notes left his mouth, the cat was on top of him, paws pressed against his mouth to muffle the sounds. He didn't stop screaming, but at least now the noise wasn't echoing through the trees, attracting any creature looking for easy prey. The boy ended up biting his tongue, trying to stop himself from screaming, and also so the cat would take its admittedly filthy paws off his mouth. He breathed a slight sigh of relief as the furry paws left his lips.

Yet that sigh turned into a gasp when, instead of a paw, a soft hand placed itself back over his mouth. All attempts at screaming stopped as he tried to see through the blurry vision the pain was causing him. He couldn't make out much, but he could definitely see the faint outline of a human. Slowly warmth began to flow through his body, starting at his lips and trickling its way down his spine all the way to his pelvis, and as it reached the point of pain, he could feel his nerve endings numbing. He closed his eyes, the sudden loss of pain causing him to feel drowsy as his body tended to his wound. After a few minutes he felt the hand leave his mouth, and he slowly opened his eyes. The pain was entirely gone, and to test the state of his injury, he leapt to his feet, laughing a little at how well it had mended in such little time. He turned to thank his mystery physician, but they were nowhere in sight. The only other creature with him was the young cat, staring up at him with large green eyes. The boy leant over, reaching out to the cat. Instead of running, the cat let him rub his hand over its head, purring softly at the way it was petted.

"Don't suppose you know who that was do you?" The cat did nothing to respond, nuzzling his hand in order to make him continue.

"You are surprisingly playful for a wild creature." He pulled his hand completely away, earning a dissatisfied growl from the large feline. The cat leapt, landing on top of him. The youth grunted as he struggled underneath the unexpected weight. Using both hands to grip it around the waist, he was able to lift it into the air, the poor creature struggling the whole time.

"You're heavy, I'm sorry! Here, I'll put you down." Leaning over to the side, he placed the cat onto the floor, laughing as it instantly pounced away, setting itself onto its haunches as though ready to leap away again.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to pick you up again." The cat seemed unconvinced, eyeing the hunter carefully as he himself sat down and watched the cat back. He didn't really want to leave the creature, it had saved his life after all, but he knew that if he wanted any chance of surviving, he needed to hunt, and he wasn't sure the cat was going to be a very easy partner to communicate with. As if knowing what he was thinking, his stomach let out a low grumble, which the cat tilted its head at. Instantly it shot off into the tree.

"Well, that makes that easy then." The hunter slung his bow back over his shoulder, stretching a little and preparing to head back into the jungle. Just as he took his first step out of the small clearing he'd been in, he heard a noise behind him, and sure enough there was the cat again, sitting in the middle of the area, something red and bloody in its mouth. His stomach growled at the sight; squirrel. It wasn't an overly big one, but it was significantly more than he had eaten in a long time. Urges winning him over, he practically ran to the cat, sweeping it up into his arms.

"You are an actual life saver!" The cat growled in protest, pushing itself away and leaping off the hunter. That was when things got a little more interesting. While a cat had leapt of his chest, the figure that had landed on the floor was something very different. At first the youth couldn't avert his eyes, too shocked to actually comprehend what he was doing. After a few moments passed, he realised exactly what he was doing and averted his eyes, blushing intensely. Where he had expected to see the same, small cat there now stood a mostly naked female girl, not that much younger than himself. Her hair was short and unkempt, black locks falling however they pleased. In her hand was a simple wooden spear, adorned with a rough stone point, probably not sharp enough to impale anything, but it would leave a very nasty scratch. However, it was her eyes that had so enchanted the youth, the same beautiful green of the cats, curious and primal. Well, the eyes and the fact that, for a girl who looked no older than twelve, she was fairly well developed, every young teens dream come true. He was ashamed to have looked at her this way, and he felt blood rushing to his cheeks as he recalled what had happened.

The girl was not happy, her face turned up in a snarl and her spear tip pointed at the youth's chest. She slowly bent down onto her legs as though readying to leap, either forward to fight or backwards to run. The youth instantly threw his hands into the air.

"I'm sorry, I know I said I wasn't going to touch you again, just… please, don't go." The girl seemed indifferent to his words, but slowly she lowered her spear, her face warming up as well, although her eyes still seemed to be wearing a half-glare. In one swift motion she leapt to the side, landing on the floor as a cat and walking up closer to the youth. She sniffed his legs, circling between his knees, which given the youth now knew she was at least part human caused him some degree of discomfort. In an instant the girl transformed again, this time her face only inches away from his, her eyes staring right into his. He could smell her now, the small of pine needles and moist dirt. The smell of the jungle, wild and free, and it sent his head spinning. He took a step back, hoping to meet the girl eye to eye. She simply stared, waiting for the boy to do something. Unsure how much she knew, the boy decided to start simple.

"Avarin." The boy uttered, placing three fingers on his chest just above his heart and tapping, trying to show the girl who he was. She tilted her head to one side, an action that looked a little odd on a human but was probably cute on a cat. He tried again.

"Avarin." This time, the girl mimicked, putting her own hand on her chest in the same way Avarin had.

"Ar… Arin." Her voice was rough but with an obvious feminine softness, which Avarin decided he quite liked. He shook his head however at her attempt at his name, and her misunderstanding what he had meant.

"No, here." He went over and took her hand, which caused her to flinch and pull back a little, but Avarin held his ground. He didn't say anything, just looked her in the eyes, and for the first time that evening she seemed to understand him. She stopped resisting, letting her hand be controlled. Avarin put her hand across his chest, again saying his name.

"Avarin." This time the girl tapped her hand against his chest, frowning a moment before speaking.

"Avarin." The way she said it drew out the 'R' sounds, but all things considered she was pretty close. Avarin smiled, squeezing her hand a little. To this the girl pulled away, and the boy did not try to stop her. Holding her own hand, the girl looked at the smiling boy, and felt reassured. Tentatively, she tried to return the gesture. It was a little off-putting, the girl's first attempt at a smile, but it just seemed to fill Avarin with resolve. Using his own hand, he put three fingers above her heart, being very careful not to touch anything he shouldn't, hoping she would understand and give him her name. She just looked at the hand, a blank look on her face. Avarin just smiled, refusing to let this bring his mood down.

"I have a lot of work to do."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Names

Teaching his new friend was turning out to be much harder than Avarin had first anticipated. It was one thing to go tapping on different object and saying words like 'tree' or 'flower', but a very different matter of trying to teach her how to form sentences. Two weeks after she had saved him from the beast, the pair had formed a kind of tribe-like routine. She would hunt and gather the meat, which Avarin had managed to be completely hopeless at, while he would scavenge for berries or other such treats, most of which his companion refused to eat. One of the most useful words he had managed to teach her had turned out to be 'death', simply because it gave her an easy way to tell him what he could and couldn't eat. He was fairly convinced he would be a horrible parent, teaching the word 'death' before many others, but in a survival situation such as this, it seemed optimal. He had slowly began to wonder more about the girls past, what she was, how she had survived for so long, where exactly she came from, or was she simply born in the Kumungu? So many questions, but unless he could teach her to talk, they would all go unanswered. Most annoyingly of all though was that, in spite of him trying every night before they went to sleep, she still hadn't given him her name. He was beginning to wonder if she even possessed one, which seemed possible if she had indeed spent her whole life alone in the Kumungu. These were the kinds of thoughts that filled Avarin's brain as he slept, and drove his body as he worked.

In between hunting and stopping Avarin from killing himself, the girl had taken the time to show him around the jungle. At first he had thought she as making them move camp, but they always returned to the same point. It wasn't until he had taught her the words 'new' and 'home' that he had begun to realise she was just showing him new places, and would always return to camp, which she had taken to calling home, a point of personal pride for Avarin. After about a month of this, the girl was beginning to use her initiative in her responses. Sentences were still a little too advanced, but she now understood words well enough to use the ideas, such as 'new death' to mean she had made a fresh kill. Her vocabulary was also expanding, and she by then had names for almost everything she could need in the jungle, as well as a couple of abstract concepts like 'happy' and 'sad', as well basic answers like 'yes' and 'no'. She was not the only one learning however. After a month of scavenging, watching as the girl would head out to hunt every evening, Avarin began to grow restless and insisted on hunting with her.

"No, death." Had been the only response he would get for some time, but persistence eventually paid off and she allowed him to come along. Checking on his bow, which had been doing little more than gathering dust in the small clearing they had set up as camp, he eagerly followed his companion into the jungle. After they were a good way into the foliage, he tapped on the girl's shoulder.

"Squirrel?" She shook her head, smiling mischievously.

"Big hunt." Was all she said before putting her finger to her lips, telling him to be quiet, a gesture he was a little annoyed he had taught her. They continued for a few more minutes in silence, the trees changing from the crisp, green leaves of their sanctuary to a deeper more menacing shade. The air too seemed to get colder, sending a shiver down the young hunter's back.

The girl stopped, and so Avarin did to, looking over her shoulder into the clearing. He couldn't see any creatures to hunt; knowing that probably didn't mean much.

"What?" The girl pointed into the centre with her spear, then put her hand on his chest.

"There Avarin." Steeling his resolve and putting his faith in his young friend, he slowly stepped out and made his way into the clearing. Instantly there was a familiar roar, and the blood seemed to drain from Avarin's face. Turning around, he was met with a beast identical to the one he had faced at the lake, the large creature stepping out of the trees it had been grazing behind. He had no clue what his friend was planning, last time he had fought this he had learnt his arrows were useless, and now he was supposed to fight it with the same weapon. He began to recall a quote he'd heard back in Noxus, something about insanity being doing the same thing twice and expecting different results. He was pulled from his fear by a familiar voice.

"Beast slow, Avarin fast, legs weak." She was wearing one of her smiles, which Avarin had been working on with her. It was no longer a variation on her snarl, and was now quite beautiful. He found himself staring for a moment too long, not jumping back to his awareness until the beast started charging. Panicking, he turned to run before remembering his friend's words. Turning back to face the creature, he waited for it to get closer, then at the last second quickly dashed to the side, completely avoiding the large creature who could do little more than roar at Avarin's fast reaction. Smiling, he knew he could beat the beast. He again waited for it to charge, and sure enough it did. He sidestepped it once more, this time notching two arrows and implanting them deep within the creature's ankle. It let out a pained roar, stumbling a little before limping back to face Avarin. The beast seemed to think better of charging him and turned to run into the jungle. Caught up in the adrenaline of the moment, Avarin made chase, unable to hear his friend's screams behind him.

He wasn't thinking about where he was going, only that he wanted to catch his prey, complete his first serious hunt. The beast was faster than him, but in the enclosed spaces of the trees and with the wound it had suffered slowing it down, Avarin was closing in on the beast. The trees began to clear, the foliage changing, but none of this registered with Avarin. Then he felt his leg catch on something sharp, the sensation of needles digging into his shin causing him to fall to the ground. He watched as his prey continued to run, disappointment turning to horror as, from the trees, vines lashed out and wrapped up the creature. It wasn't a clean kill, the barbed vines literally tearing the flesh from the beasts bones until it bled out. Avarin turned to run, but his leg was in pain. Then he felt a pair of arms on his shoulders, lifting him up and dragging him away. He bit his tongue to stop himself screaming at the pain in his leg, turning back one last time to catch a glimpse of the beast he had almost caught. In that moment he could have sworn he saw another creature, vaguely humanoid, but he would later put that down to the heat of the moment. Once she was convinced they were far enough away from the vines, the girl went about removing the sharp vine that had caught Avarin's leg. She wasn't happy.

"Avarin stupid, Avarin not listen, Avarin almost dead." He cringed as the last of the thorns were removed from his shin.

"Sorry. I didn't realise there was going to be a patch of psychotic vines!" He knew she wouldn't understand what he said, but he was just trying to vent anger at that point. The girl didn't seem to mind, simply pointing back where they had come from.

"Death. Bad death." As if to prove her point, she held up the vine that had caught his leg. It was thick and strong, clearly designed to be inescapable once caught. What really got Avarin however were the barbs, giant thorns the size of his little finger sticking out of the red vine. He took it in his hand, squeezing it a little to watch the horrible green ooze drip out the end of it.

"Back in Noxus we had stuff like this. We used to call it nettleweed, horrible nuisance, would take over whole gardens." The girl tilted her head, mouth moving as though trying to pronounce something.

"Nidalee?" Avarin laughed, shaking his head.

"Close, nettleweed." The girl seemed to think this over.

"Nettleweed?" She touched the vine, looking to Avarin for confirmation of her assumption. He absentmindedly nodded his head, his thoughts on something else entirely. He wasn't sure what it was that had come over him, maybe he was delusional because of some toxin in the vine, maybe he was just in a slight state of shock, but he couldn't get the way she had said 'nidalee' out of his head. Suddenly, he had an idea. Placing three of his fingers above his chest, he tapped three times. The girl understood.

"Avarin." She said his name, understanding the gesture. Leaning over, Avarin placed his three fingers above her heart, performing the same motion. This time he spoke.

"Nidalee." She barely responded, reaching up and softly touching Avarin's hand. This whole time he had been treating her as nameless; he had never thought to wonder how she felt about that. She just sat there, lightly tapping her chest just above her heart, tears forming ever so slightly in the corner of her eyes.

"Nidalee." She smiled, and Avarin found himself completely lost in that moment. He couldn't look away from her eyes, the presence of tears giving them a reflective quality. There was something else there which hadn't been all those days ago, behind the primal and intelligent green that was ever-present. He couldn't put his finger on it, but Avarin knew he wanted to see it more.

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 **Well, you've come this far, so how about you RFF (review, follow, favourite) so I know what you think so far and what you want to see more of in the future. If you don't feel a review is going to cut it, whether that be because you have a serious problem with my work (please don't hate me 3) or you want to make my day, don't be afraid to pop me a PM. I'm pretty busy, but I will happily take time to talk about my work to those who are curious.**

 **Thanks for sticking with this piece! BJ out.**

 **PS. I'm putting this in because I actually received a guest review for one of my other pieces on this note, if it says not-complete next to the description, I am still going to be adding chapters in the foreseeable future. Even if it says complete, that may just be because I have reached a point I am happy to leave it at for a while, but I may still revisit it.  
TL;DR, expect more chapters for this, as well as Sentimental and Heartseekers (If you are following). I am not stopping this piece here unless people genuinely hate it.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - 'Love'

Months came and went, and the change in the moons signalled the move to winter, which sadly signalled rain. Avarin thanked the gods that it wasn't cold, the humid air significantly more pleasing than the heavy snow he used to receive back in Noxus. Nidalee on the other hand was less fond, often choosing to shelter herself at every chance, and never entering her cat form. It was a long, slow season, but as is its way the season passed and summer returned, signalling a year worth of Avarin's time in the jungle. He could barely be recognised as the young boy who had fled Noxus, adapting to the jungle's ways. He had taken a note from Nidalee's wardrobe, now wearing little to cover his chest. He was nervous about this at first, as any teenage boy would be, but he had grown used to the feel of the wind on his bare chest, and he loved every moment of it. One day, while hunting, he came across a small puddle forming amidst the roots of a large tree. Undisturbed by leaves or sticks, Avarin was able to see his reflection in the small puddle after so long being unable to. He was in disbelief at first, running his hand over his cheek just to make sure it was indeed himself. He still had the same face of a young boy, but there was evidence now to mark his trials. Where his face had been clean and unblemished it was now scratched and marked, making him look older than he really was. His bare chest was another matter entirely, muscles firm and prominent, so refined they would no doubt be the envy of many a soldier back in Noxus. His eyes were no longer clear and crisp, a sign of purity. They were darker, the edges less refined, with pure black pupils that seemed to bore into his reflection. He had adapted, embracing the primal nature.

Nidalee had likewise changed. While before she had taken it all upon herself to protect the two of them from harm, she was now more than willing to let Avarin share the load, sometimes even choosing to let him hunt instead of her, which although she considered shameful at first had grown to accept. She also had started to favour her human form much more. For much of her life she had considered life as a cougar to be far more practical for survival, but something about the things Avarin did, most of them stupid but occasionally brilliant, built her intrigue for humans, herself included. One thing that had really intrigued her was the idea of stories. At first she had seen no point for them, but Avarin had insisted that they were good fun, and had proceeded to tell her a tale. She hadn't understood half of what he said, and he knew that, but the way he moved his body and hands was so comical and dramatic that Nidalee had found herself laughing. As soon as the sound left her lips she had jumped back, not sure what had happened. It had taken Avarin a good amount of time to explain the concept of humour to her, something he was still convinced he hadn't done a very good job of.

Apart from when they hunted, the pair were practically inseparable. It was more than them simply sharing a home and meals, they would actively seek out each others company at every moment, Nidalee trying to learn as much as she could about humanity, Avarin trying to lose some of his to the wild nature of the Kumungu. Kindred souls on colliding pathways, nothing seemed capable of coming between them. Summer again gave way to autumn and the first showers of the impending season. The day the rain had started was the first morning in months that Avarin had not found Nidalee already by his side as he woke up. Confused at first, he stepped out of the small cover he had and, upon feeling the faint dripping of rain upon his head, smiled in understanding. Heading over to Nidalee's shelter, he made his way inside her makeshift tent, finding her curled up with her eyes closed.

"Hey, it's just rain, that's not so bad." Nidalee just grunted.

"Hate rain, water makes fur bad." Avarin leant over and gently stroked her hair, earning him a slight purring. The two sat there in a comfortable silence until Nidalee rolled over, looking at Avarin expectantly.

"What? You want me to tell you a story?" Nidalee nodded her head enthusiastically, earning her a sigh from Avarin. Ceasing his stroking, he rubbed his hands together as he thought of the best story to tell under theses circumstances. Although he knew most of it would be lost in translation, he still took great care in what he said if for no other reason than to preserve his pride. After a few minutes of thinking, Avarin spoke.

"There's an old Frejlordian tale about the rain. Because it always snows there, the citizens of the Frejlord will very rarely see rain in their entire life. Most of them are satisfied with this, believing snow is far purer than rain, and serves as an aspect of beauty that rain never could. But everybody does not hold this belief.

At the base of a seemingly ordinary mountain lived a man, strong as a giant with the heart of an angel. He was nothing more than a simple goat farmer, growing his own food and caring for the assortment of different creatures that came his way, human and beast, friend and enemy. Word travelled fast of this kind nomad, the kindest man in all of Valoran they proclaimed. It was talked of in the taverns, whispered in the courts, even muttered in the underground.

Eventually the king caught word and, in what he considered to be a genius move for his kingdom, announced that his daughter was to marry the kind farmer that everybody was talking about. There was much celebration, and within a week the young princess had been pampered and decorated ready for her presentation to the man. It was supposed to be a small affair, the king and his daughter travelling all the way to the kind man's farm so that the king could hand her over. Along the way they began to pick up stragglers, either hoping to get a look at the king, his daughter, or the kind man at the end of the trip.

However, upon reaching the house, the king's plan began to fall apart. He introduced himself and his daughter, announcing his plan to the cheers from the crowd. The farmer just smiled and laughed, inviting the daughter, and only the daughter, into his house. Once inside, he took her into his living room, offering her his chair as he pulled up a stool, eying her from head to toe. The daughter was a little uncomfortable at this, never used to being left alone at the whims of someone outside of the court, and began to shift in the chair. The kind man smiled, patting her shoulder.  
'Worry not my child, for I wish you know harm. But I'm afraid I cannot marry you, for I cannot love you.' The daughter, astonished at the man's words, instantly stood up, arms flying into the air in exasperation.  
'If not me then who! I am the daughter of a king, I can make you rich beyond all your dreams, one day you could even be king, yet you say you cannot love me?' The kind man just laughed at this, standing up himself, dwarfing the young princess.  
'My dear, you speak only with your head, a head that has spent too long by the warm palace hearths. Love does not come from the head, it comes from the heart, and as large as mine may be, it does not long for you.' The princess, now somewhat disappointed at her rejection, began to brush tears from her eyes. The kind man left and returned with something warm and sweet that seemed to wash away her sadness as she drank. Realising she could not win his heart, the young princess changed her approach.  
'If not me, my kind sir, then what is it you desire?' The farmer smiled, looking out the window forlornly.  
'I have spent my whole life in the Frejlord caring for my herds and travellers, I would like to see new things. I would like to see the goats on Mount Targon, maybe even bring one home to train my herd. I would like to see the tiny-ones in Bandle City, find out how such small hearts can hold such compassion. I would like to feel the rain, and find out why the sky must cry.' The princess, moved by the farmer's words, exited the house to talk with her father. Upon hearing of her rejection, he was furious, ordering his soldiers to burn the farmer's house to the ground. The princess protested, pleading with her father to spare the poor man, for it was not his fault he could not love her. In a state of madness, the king ignored her, and soon the house was nothing but a pillar of flame.

Three days after the event, the daughter returned to the home, stepping through the ashes in search of the farmers body. But she could not find it, or anything amongst the wreckage for that matter. Upon taking another step she heard a slight clinking noise by her foot and, looking down, she saw the same cup she had drunk out of before that fateful hour. Turning it over in her hand, she was astonished to find a slip of paper on the inside. Unfolding it, she read.  
'But most importantly, I would like to save a princess from a love that she could never truly enjoy.' The princess began to cry, tears falling from her cheeks onto her shoes. Then she felt it, the faint tapping on the top of her head, and she looked up to find it was raining, the first time it had rained in the Frejlord for millennia. The sky was weeping, weeping for the girl and the loving sacrifice this man made for her."

Nidalee screwed her nose up and turned away, trying to hide her tears. Although she had not completely understood the story, she could tell from his tone it was not a happy one.

"That is sad story." Avarin leant over and stroked her hair again.

"Well, you are in a sad mood." Grabbing Avarin's hand, she rolled over and looked him in the eyes.

"What is love?" Avarin's face seemed to drain of colour at that question. He rarely used the word love, he hadn't even considered that the story he was telling could invoke such a question. He stood up, pacing back and forth, earning him a confused look from NIdalee. After a minute of thinking he turned to her, a frown on his face.

"Umm, love is feeling really happy with somebody." Nidalee nodded to this, thinking it over.

"When they help you?" Avarin rubbed his forehead, struggling to think of a clearer way to explain it.

"No, more than that. It's a strong… feeling, from one person to another." He used his fingers to try and demonstrate this, but only seemed to confuse Nidalee further.

"Friends?"

"No, stronger." Nidalee was utterly lost, unable to comprehend what she meant.

"Can you show me?" Avarin blushed, suddenly unable to make eye contact with Nidalee.

"No Nidalee, it's not that easy." Avarin turned to leave, causing Nidalee to shoot to her feet and try to stop him. She was too curious now, never before had he refused to explain something to her. She was concerned too, concerned that maybe this new idea was hurting Avarin. She caught his arm, trying to pull him back under her shelter.

"Please." Avarin groaned, again regretting having taught her that word. In a very atypical action, he used his strength to pull free of Nidalee, rushing away before she could respond. She was stunned, never before had he come close to trying to hurt her, now suddenly he was in this state? She wasn't about to let it drop there; she was too stubborn for that. Changing into a cougar so she could travel faster, she leapt out of her shelter and covered the distance in as little time as possible, still shaking her body to remove the excess water. She was a little unhappy for having gotten wet, but she considered this more important at that time.

She used her nose to push aside the small flap at the entrance to Avarin's shelter, stalking inside quietly. Avarin was lying on the floor, hands covering his face as he shook his head. Silently as she could, she fell onto her back legs before launching herself on top of Avarin, pinning him beneath her. Winded, he could do little more than let the cougar's weight hold him down as he struggled to regain his breath.

"Nidalee, what are you doing!?" She transformed back into a human, her hands instantly reaching for his wrists and holding them apart so he could do nothing but look her in the eyes.

"You scare me, I don't like it. Show me 'love'." Avarin struggled, but Nidalee was just as strong as he was when she wanted to be. He looked at her one last time, desperation evident in his face, but she would not back down. Conceding defeat, Avarin leant forward and, taking care not to press too closely, lightly kissed Nidalee. At first she slowly began to move backwards, the sensation so foreign to her, but Avarin made sure their lips did not part, and eventually Nidalee changed her mind and simply enjoyed the sensation. Her hands began to trail up his arms until they rested on his bare chest, her fingers playing along his recently formed muscles. She began to press back against Avarin's lips, confidence growing as time passed. Something was driving her now, some feeling within her pleading to be released, burning like wildfire within her body. Her hands found their way around Avarin's head as she pulled him closer, now kissing him with so much force he was beginning to feel discomfort. He pushed her back, gasping for air. Nidalee was completely dishevelled, what little clothes she did wear across her chest falling to her waist while her hair had gotten completely messed up. She looked at Avarin with large green eyes, completely oblivious to how much what she'd been doing had affected Avarin. He gently reached out and rubbed his hand across her cheek, smiling to reassure her.

"Not so fast. Love is slow." There was a flash of lightning overhead, followed by the sound of rain beating down upon their shelter. The first storm had arrived, and there was no way Nidalee was getting back to her shelter. Not that she seemed like she wanted to anyway, quickly wrapping both her arms around Avarin's waist and trying to bury her face in the crook of his neck as soon as she had heard the thunder following the earlier strike. Lying down, Avarin gently pulled Nidalee down onto him, wrapping her shoulders in his arms in the most comforting way he knew how. She shifted a little until she was comfortable before relaxing, arms wrapped around Avarin. He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead, then allowed his head to fall backwards as he listened to the weeping sky.

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 **Welp, this story has been pretty well received thus far, so I consider that a success.**

 **I** **n fact, I was so happy to see people already jumping on board with this that I pumped out another chapter in less than a day... Don't believe me? *sigh* you know me too well, the little Frejlord part was something I wrote ages ago and sounded something like a bedtime story, so it seemed fitting and I worked from there. Don't like the story within a story? Please let me know and you won't see it again, I like to try different things.**

 **Anyway, if you like this, please read my other pieces and don't be afraid to hit the 'follow author' button, because I may just release a new story like this on a whim, and I'd hate for you to miss it.**

 **Yours always, BJ**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey there guys, BJ here with another chapter for you :)**

 **I also just want to say that, while I do not personally respond to reviews, I do read them all and love each of them. I think I have only ever received one bad review over all my stories, which means you must be the loveliest people, because even I've got frustrated at some of the mistakes in my work!**

 **I did want to give a shoutout to The Weeping Prophet because, dude, it's not as dramatic when you call it in advance! (Confused? Read this chapter then have a look at the reviews.)**

 **Anyway, please RFF, and enjoy the chapter!**

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How I would love to tell you that these two hunters found a perfect love, growing closer with each passing moment, forming a family as they lived out a happy, meaningful life in the depths of the Kumungu. Sadly, life is so rarely this perfect. The storms had began to lessen in number towards the end of winter, Nidalee finally gaining the confidence to rush between shelters, although she still spent most of her time wrapped around Avarin. She couldn't explain her desire exactly, but she didn't want to let him go. While she had been doing her best to do nothing, it had been Avarin who had taken on the responsibilities of hunting and providing for the pair. He hadn't had to hunt so often before, and he was finding himself frequently exhausted, almost collapsing every evening into Nidalee's awaiting arms. He was glad to see the last drop fall and the sun peak its head above the foliage, the first sign of spring. Things returned to normal after that, the two sharing the load and each others company. Avarin was also now making a point of trying to explain love to Nidalee, which often involved an awful lot of kissing and hugging, much to both their pleasures, although he really was not sure how much she understood. Life was good.

Therefore, it must come as no surprise that disaster was around the corner. The first sign had come weeks before the actual event while Avarin was out hunting. Nidalee had taught him all the places to find prey, small and large, so that hunting could be a much quicker job. However, this day none of the spots seemed to have any beasts. It wasn't unusual for one location to be devoid of life, but for all of them to be, now that was very suspicious. He ended up hunting birds, a significantly harder target, but at least they could eat. Nidalee could not provide any insight as to why they could be so empty, and so they put it down as an odd coincidence. The next day, when Nidalee went to hunt, the same thing occurred. All the animals seemed to have retreated from this area of the jungle. Nidalee was really concerned, not just for their wellbeing, but also because she cared for the jungle on a level most would never understand. To see so few creatures, it was very unsettling. The pair decided they had to expand how far they went to hunt, and soon they began to find more prey, but the spots were still sparse and far between.

It was after about two weeks of this that the Noxians arrived. Nidalee had convinced Avarin that they should hunt together in an attempt to speed up the increasingly lengthy hunts, to which he had happily agreed. They had heard them before they saw them, the sound of snapping twigs and rustling bushes. They knew instantly that the creatures weren't native, the amount of noise would typically spell their end. Weapons at the ready, the pair approached the group with caution. Nidalee, having never left the jungle, did not know who the newcomers were, but Avarin recognised them almost instantly. Every Noxian youth, conscripted or no, could recognise the dark steel plates and horrible red insignia that represented the Noxian military. His first thought was to run, get as far away from them as possible, worrying that if caught he would be dragged back to Noxus and tried for desertion. He quickly shook off that thought, he wasn't going to cower beneath the will of Noxus anymore. Besides, it had been about two years now, surely they wouldn't recognise him. He drew an arrow, taking aim at one of the soldiers, only to have Nidalee pull his bow down. She tilted her head, silently asking for an explanation.

"They're bad Nidalee, we can't let them stay." She didn't seem convinced, pointing to the two of them then at the others, pointing out their similarities.

"Nidalee, not every human is like me. Some of them are dark, evil people." He pointed to the Noxians.

"I know these people. I am… was one of them. They will kill us if they get the chance." Nidalee shook her head, refusing to accept that truth. Unsure what approach to take, she told Avarin to wait and changed into her cougar form, pouncing away to scout the small group. She had done the same thing so many times that Avarin had learnt to expect it, and as soon as she had, he drew his bow, taking aim again. He knew Nidalee wouldn't want it, but she would eventually realise it was for her own good, wouldn't she? He took another step forward to get a better look, and instantly felt a burst of pain travel up his leg. In his hatred he hadn't bothered to check where he was stepping and had trodden right on top of a bear trap, probably set by the Noxians. Avarin stumbled forward, landing a short distance in front of the approaching Noxians who cheered at their catch.

"Well look what we have here boys!" The soldier who had spoke walked forward and lifted his face, staring into his eyes. Something glimmered across the soldiers face, and Avarin's heart sank into his chest.

"I know this boy, he's wanted for desertion. Thought you could escape us in the jungle, did you boy?" The soldier slapped him hard across the face, causing Avarin to fall to the side, his face red and the taste of blood on his lips. The other soldiers just laughed as the first one approached again, sword drawn this time.

He never got the chance to use it as, out of the bush, a figure leapt out, teeth sinking into the soldier's exposed neck. He yelled in pain and tried to struggle, but it was no use and he collapsed to the ground in a heap. Nidalle turned away from her prey, putting her cougar form between the wounded Avarin and the other soldiers, most of which had drawn bows by now. He knew NIdalee could probably get amongst the group and kill one or two, but she'd never survive the attempt. Avarin began prying the trap from his leg.

"Nidalee, run, you can't fight them." She didn't turn to look at him.

"No, I protect you." The trap clanged free and Avarin jumped up, gripping Nidalee's shoulders and turning her to face him.

"You can't, they will kill you. Run!" Nidalee just stood there staring at him as the soldiers readied their arrows, yelling something about standing down.

"I can't leave you." Avarin laughed a little to himself.

"And that is love." An arrow was fired, Avarin pulling them both to the side to avoid it. Nidalee readied her spear only to have Avarin push it away.

"Nidalee, please, just go." She looked back at the group one last time, then at Avarin, pleading with him to change his mind. He wanted to run with her, to get out and continue with their happy life, but he could feel the blood trickling down his leg. He would just slow them down, and she would be killed. As far as he was concerned, there wasn't a choice. He leant down to whisper in her ear.

"I will come back to you, I promise. I love you." And with that he pushed her away, watching as she disappeared into the trees.

As grim as his outlook may have been, he had meant every word he said to Nidalee. He had no intention of dying, today or any other day until he found her again. He turned to face the soldiers, most of which were firing arrows into the jungle, fruitlessly trying to hit the cougar that had killed their comrade. Imbued with new resolve, Avarin stood to his full height, ignoring the pain in his leg.

"Over here you bastards." He knew it was immature, but in his past experiences soldiers hadn't been the brightest of men. Sure enough, they turned to him, firing a few more arrows that he quickly dodged away from. He drew his bow and fired back, hitting the nearest soldier square in the neck, ending his life in seconds. Now fuelled by another death, many of the nearer guards dropped their bows and drew swords, charging the wounded hunter. Knowing he had no chance of fighting this battle, he did the only thing left to do; run. He dashed off into the trees, being sure to head in the opposite direction to Nidalee. He wasn't entirely sure where he was running, simply trying to put distance between him and his pursuers. Despite at an obvious physical disadvantage, his knowledge of the jungle made it so that he could at least keep an equal distance away from the soldiers, although he knew he'd tire quicker given his condition. He broke out into a clearing, cursing his luck, knowing the even surface would allow the soldiers to close in on him.

Then he saw it, curled loosely around a nearby branch, as though it were an invitation; a vine, red and thorned, snaking its way down the tree and into the jungle. Suddenly Avarin had an idea, sprinting back off into the jungle, following the path the vine traced. He could hear the soldiers getting closer behind him, though there were notably less voices, many probably falling off or losing their way in the jungle. The trees began to get further apart, and the vines more numerous. Avarin stopped suddenly.

"Please, whoever you are, protect me." Taking a deep breath, Avarin used what little of his strength remained to sprint forward, out of the jungle he knew so well and into one he knew nothing about. Eventually he stopped, leaning against the skeletal remains of his lost hunt. He waited for the group of Noxians to make their way out of the tree line, desperately hoping this would not be his end. The first soldier poked his head through the trees, laughing before calling for the rest of his men. The group now numbered just five in total, all with swords drawn. The first one chuckled.

"Finally given up have you?" Avarin smiled, refusing to give the soldier any satisfaction.

"You haven't got me yet." The soldier snarled and took a step closer, stopping himself. Avarin had been hoping they'd just charge at him, but apparently this soldier was not as dim-witted as Avarin took him for.

"Two of you with me, if anything goes wrong, the other two put an arrow in his head." Avarin felt the colour drain from his cheeks. He was too exhausted; he couldn't dodge arrows while avoiding the other soldiers. The three soldiers with swords began to step forward slowly, decreasing the distance between them and their target.

The moment the last guard crossed the jungle's threshold all hell broke loose. The whole floor seemed to erupt, vines shooting forth from all direction. The leading guard seemed to take the brunt of the hit, his body flying into the air only to be caught mid-fall, the barbed vines shredding the skin off his arms and legs as they coiled around him. The other two, having managed to avoid being flung up, stared in horror at their comrade, screaming in agony twenty feet above their heads. Then the second soldier went down, tendrils snaking up his legs and dragging him deeper into the red jungle. It was by then that the other two soldiers caught on and the first arrow was fired. Avarin had been ready and managed to leap to the side, expecting to get a face full of spikey vines. But when he landed he felt nothing but grass, as though the vines had moved to allow him a safe landing. Having seen his two comrades butchered by the vines, the third soldier began sprinting back the way he had came, but he didn't make it far. One moment he was running, the next he was on the floor, a needle-like projectile in his back. Avarin hadn't noticed the flowers before, brilliant explosions of colour gracing the top of the vine-covered trees, but like everything in this jungle packed a deadly surprise. Another flower shot out at the archer who had already fired, narrowly missing the target. The archer adjusted ready to fire another arrow, only to be hit by a different flower, then pulled into the jungle by the vines.

That left one soldier, and this soldier was by far the wisest of the group. The moment he had seen the vines lash out, he had backed away from them, finding a spot fairly isolated from the lethal blooms. He took aim; unbeknownst to Avarin he was still sprawled on the floor. Taking a short breath, he fired, watching as the arrow flew true. It should have hit Avarin, ending his life there and then. He saw the arrow coming and, knowing he could not hope to dodge it at this late stage, closed his eyes and resigned himself to death. Yet death that never came. Opening his eyes he was met with yet another giant flower, its petals easily the size of bed-sheets. It was a mix of dark reds and greens, not the most spectacular colours amidst the other reds and greens of this jungle, but enough to make Avarin gasp in beauty. He reached out and touched it, running his hand along the smooth, skin-like petal, his hand eventually coming upon a blemish. He tapped the tip of the arrow, lodged firmly in the plant's walls, following the trajectory straight for his neck. The plant had saved his life.

The last soldier had seen the plant spring up from nowhere, cursing the jungle for its trickery. He wasted no more time, turning his back to the red jungle and returning to what remained of his squad. Avarin saw him leave, and breathed a sigh of relief, allowing himself to collapse back onto the soft floor. He knew he had to tend to the wound on his leg, but that could wait, right now he was just so overwhelmingly tired. He felt the temperature drop, instinctively rolling back and notching an arrow at whatever had cast the shadow. There was a shriek, followed by a soft, female voice.

"Please don't hurt me, I just wanted to help." Avarin's vision was blurry, the wound doubled with his quick reaction becoming too much. He couldn't make out much of the woman, but she sounded young. He lowered his bow, knees buckling a little as he did.

"Who are you?" His vision went black, but he felt a pair of soft hands ease him to the ground. He barely heard the girl's last words before he slipped out of consciousness.

"My name is Zyra, and don't worry, I'm going to take care of you."


	6. Chapter 6

**What is this? Two chapters in one day? I know, I know, I really shouldn't have, but I just love you guys too much.**

 **I'm not going to write anything before the next chapter because, obviously, not really any updates to give you between the two minutes it'll take between posting them, so here's where things stand. I have a new story out, "Of Gods and Yordles", which is a definite work in progress, but feel free to check it out. I am also currently working on a more smutty one-shot, in case any of you out there were fans of A Mutual Solution.**

 **Welp, all up to date, enjoy the double chapter. As always, please RFF and enjoy.**

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The morn was harsh on poor Avarin, the sun finding its way through the overgrowth and onto his sleeping face, forcing him to wake so as to avert his eyes. Everything felt wrong, the whistle of the breeze through the trees sung a different melody, the soft grass he had become accustom to had been replaced with a stiffer, sharper blade. He couldn't make out the large leaves of the treetops, he couldn't smell the faint scents of pine that seemed to be ever present despite the lack of pine trees. No, this jungle was not his home, and where he wanted to see the beautiful greens and browns that for so long had been his calming visions, he saw only red. He could just remember the events before he passed out, although only in vague images and muffled noises, none of which seemed to explain his current situation. He pushed himself up from the floor, noticing how his hands ran along something smooth rather than the jungle floor. Looking down he was met with a rainbow of colours, each more vibrant than the last. He took to his feet and stepped back, watching in awe as the giant flower he'd been resting on sprung up as though relieved of tension, stretching up to face the sunlight. He could only gawk at its size, easily large enough to envelope him entirely should he wrap himself in it. Taking in his surroundings he began to see more of these flowers intertwined with the ever-present red vines, little respites of beauty amongst an otherwise hostile landscape. It was then he began to recall what these flowers could do, memories of thorns flying through the air and striking down men came to mind. He timidly stepped away from the flower he's been resting on.

"Oh, you're awake." Avarin shot up and turned around, instinctively reaching behind him for his bow, only to realise that he did not have it with him. His eyes instantly searched his surroundings for something, anything he could use to protect himself. Seeing nothing, he dropped to his knees, raising his arms in front of him. All he heard was laughter.

"Am I supposed to be afraid?" The laughing figure was unlike any Avarin had seen before. She looked mostly like a youthful human, and a beautiful one at that. Thin waist trailing down to long, eloquent legs, a pointed face with glowing orange eyes. Avarin didn't mean to stare, but it was hard to take his eyes off of her, only partly due to the fact she wore nothing but a light covering of leaves. Most remarkably the leaves seemed to be as much a part of her as her skin or flowing red hair. She was unquestionably beautiful, and as if to torment Avarin further, she looked to be no older than himself.

"Who are you and why have you come to my home?" It took Avarin a few moments to shake off his trance and register the question. Her home? He hadn't begun to think that the strange red forest could have a cause, he just assumed it was another part of the Kumungu.

"I'm Avarin, and I come seeking refuge." The stranger scoffed, turning away and heading over to her flower, rubbing her hand along the stalk.

"I do not offer refuge." A memory came back to him and he smiled a little to himself.

"You could have fooled me, you did seem to save my life, Zyra." Zyra's shoulders bounced up and down as she chuckled to herself.

"So you do remember." Avarin walked up to the flower, running his own hand along the tall stalk.

"What are these?" Zyra held out her hand and from her palm grew another flower; almost identical to the one Avarin was currently resting against. He smiled as the colours grew more and more vibrant, the petals stretching out until her whole hand was camouflaged beneath the bloom. She then took the flower and placed it on the ground, smiling as roots dug their way beneath the surface.

"They are my children, and my protectors."

"They're beautiful." Zyra's eyes shot up, and for a moment Avarin could have sworn a blush crossed her face. She shook her head a moment later, walking away from the hunter.

"My blooms are many things, but they are not beautiful." He watched a little as Zyra headed further into the jungle, tossing up his options in his head. On one hand, he could try and find his way out of the jungle and back to his familiar territory and possibly to Nidalee. While this outcome was certainly his preference, he had no clue where he was or where he was going, and this jungle had already proven to be less than friendly to strangers. He wanted to trust in Zyra, but the fact was he knew so little about her. What if she decided to kill him too? This left the second option, which held many of the same risks, but at least he would have direction. Removing his hand from the flower he began to follow Zyra, sticking a safe distance back so as not to feel intrusive. Zyra looked back occasionally, each time picking out where he was. She didn't seem annoyed or angry, but neither did she stop to talk to him. The further they walked the more plentiful the flowers became, and Avarin had to physically concentrate to keep his attention on following Zyra rather than losing himself in the colourful overgrowth. The sun rose to its peak and sank below the tree line before Zyra finally stopped, turning to Avarin.

"Are you just going to keep following me?" Avarin laughed, finally catching up to Zyra.

"Well, I have questions." Zyra smiled, but there was little kindness behind it.

"I told you that I will not protect you, return to your petty jungle, hunter."

"Where did you learn to speak English?" Zyra's smile faltered, not sure if she should indulge the hunter's curiosity. However, he had been nothing but kind so far, so she conceded.

"This body knew it when I inhabited it, I took that knowledge amongst other things."

"What do you mean by inhabited the body?" Zyra ran a hand through her hair.

"That's how I take form. I am not human, I simply steal their bodies." Now it was Avarin's smile that faltered.

"You're not going to…" Zyra shook her head.

"Men are so primitive, I prefer female bodies."

"Well, that hurts a little." Zyra smiled.

"So if you aren't human, what are you?" Zyra held out her arm and allowed Avarin to gawk in wonder as her fingers extended into vines, wrapping themselves back around her arm. She raised her arms above her head and instantly began to rise, petals blooming behind her back as she herself became on of the many beautiful flowers amongst the jungle, although Avarin had to admit her beauty far surpassed her children's. Completing her show, she allowed herself to softly fall to the ground, using her soft fingers to close Avarin's jaw.

"I am as much a part of this jungle as every other plant inside of it, if that answers your question." It didn't really, but Avarin was not about to complain.

"Why can't you offer me protection?" Zyra clenched her fists at this, closing her eyes in an obvious attempt to maintain her composure.

"Because humans are pathetic, violent creatures that have little to no care for my children or myself. I have seen them approach me with hands of fire, rejoicing as my own spawn turned black and died. I have been chased from countless lands by blades and arrows, all wielded by people who'd want nothing more than to see me dead. They have never shown me any sense of kindness, so why should I show it to them?"

"Why save me then?" Avarin took a confident step forward.

"If human's are so bad, why save me?" Zyra looked at him with large eyes, not entirely sure of the answer herself.

"You're different." Avarin smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Exactly! Don't be so quick to damn humanity, there may be violence but there is also so much kindness and love." An image of Nidalee flashed across his mind making his heart ache, but he refused to show it to Zyra. The latter however was not paying attention to his words, rather the feel of his hand on her shoulder. She'd never known a mortal's kindness before, and the feeling was very unnatural, yet she didn't want it to stop.

"You don't think my children are monsters?" Avarin looked around them, from the vine-covered floor to the flower-ridden overgrowth. He could see the dangers they posed, but that was not what captured his mind. He found himself getting lost in their ancient, primal beauty, just as he had lost himself in the eye's of his huntress all those moons ago. They were part of the jungle, and therefore as much a part of his life as anything else. He also let his gaze fall to Zyra, an eye trailing over her.

"In my experience, things of such beauty could never be monstrous." Zyra was dumbstruck, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. She put her hands over her face, trying to hide what she believed to be a sign of weakness. She turned and started to head off into the jungle. Avarin called after her.

"Wait! If you want me to leave you need to show me how to get out." Zyra stopped, offering one sentence in response.

"I don't want you to leave." And with that she was gone, disappearing completely into her jungle. Avarin couldn't wipe the smile from his face. He'd been expecting her response, but hearing it from her gave him a renewed sense of joy.

He decided that, since he could now trust the jungle around him, his current spot was as good a location as any to set up camp. It wasn't going to be much of a camp, he had nothing to actually set up and he wouldn't dare start a fire for fear of harming Zyra's children. Instead he set himself on the ground and jumped in surprise as another flower bloomed up around him, wrapping him up as though he were inside a tent. He knew there had been no flower there when he had lied down, which meant there was only one possible explanation for why it had appeared. He laid his head back on the flower, whispering a silent thankyou to his vigilant protector. He let his hand fall by his side until it brushed against something familiar and wooden. Lifting his bow before his eyes, he laughed a little at its presence. In all his time since leaving Noxus, his bow had managed to stay by his side. He didn't realise exactly how much he relied on its presence to feel secure. He laid it back down beside him before setting his head against the soft petal.

Sleep came easily to the weary hunter, and with them came dreams. He could feel his knees aching as he ran, not entirely sure what was behind him, but certain he had to keep away from it. He could feel the presence of trees around him though he could not see them. The normal reassuring colours were gone; in fact everything he found familiar about his home had all but vanished. Yet he never stopped to dwell on this, certain he had to keep running. He rounded what he imagined to be a corner and let out a scream. Strung up before him was his love, her beautiful emerald green eyes now dull and grey.

"You brought them here, this was your fault." The voice echoed around him, and he suddenly remembered he had to keep running. He instantly picked up his pace, allowing the wind on his face to blow away his tears. He felt the atmosphere change, and he somehow knew he'd left his familiar jungle. The smell of fire filled the air and Avarin instinctively jumped out of the way of a burning branch, though he could not see the tree it had fallen from. He ran until the fire rose so high before him he could not walk further. Beyond it he could just make out the figure of a young, beautiful figure, face twisted into one of agony as her very flesh seemed to burn. He looked away, fighting the urge to be sick. He could feel the fire closing in around him, and before he could stop and mourn his legs were moving once more, pushing him through the fire, a feat that should have left him in pain, a pain he felt he more than deserved, but in spite of it all he was fine. His legs stopped him before an endless drop to an unknown fate, a cliff unlike any he had seen in the jungle, although he was able to recognise the realm below him. The site was one of pure beauty to him, the jungle in all its glory, the sanctuary he had made for himself. He could make out where it dissolved into the peaceful forests that led towards Bandle city, as well as the obvious red line that separated Zyra's territory from the rest of the Kumungu. He could also see the army in the distance, a streak of black and red making their way towards his home. Part of him screamed at him to see reason, Noxus had no reason to march on the Kumungu, the soldiers they had met were probably a small party exploring the area. But watching his home state set ablaze his new home, none of that seemed to register. Like it or not, he had led Noxus to the Kumungu, and now he'd have to watch it burn.

"This was your fault." The voice was right behind him and he turned, two ghastly figures looking at him with hollow eyes, one pair grey and lifeless, the other charred and empty. He broke down then, falling to his knees with his face in his hands.

As far as he was concerned, he had brought doom upon the Kumungu, and it was now up to him to save it.


	7. Chapter 7

"Zyra!" Avarin's voice echoed through the jungle, his voice seeming to run in a circle before returning to him. He hoped this was a sign that his voice was carrying, but in spite of his searching, he was unable to find his 'protector'. He had woken up quite early from his nightmare, not out of fear and sadness, but because he suddenly had a new resolve. He had waited until the sun's first rays were making their way into the jungle before he set out on his search. He wasn't sure why he expected her to be easy to find, the jungle was unquestionably expansive, but by the time the sun had risen to its peak he had nothing to show for his morning's hunt. He sat down against a nearby tree, sighing at his failure. Then he heard chuckling.

"You realise if you wanted to find me you should have stood still. I've been trying to catch up to you for the last hour." Avarin blushed a little at his stupidity.

"Why didn't you call out?" Zyra smiled a wide grin at him.

"Because there is no fun in that." Avarin tried to smile back in spite of his melancholy mood. It must have been more obviously forced than he thought, because Zyra tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"You feeling alright?" Avarin rubbed his eyes.

"How well do you know the jungle?" Zyra closed the last little distance between them, setting herself down next to him.

"It has been my home for many years, I know it as well as I know myself."

"Could you take me somewhere then?" Zyra looked over at Avarin. He didn't have the charming confidence that he had shown her yesterday, much to her disappointment. Instead he seemed distant, as though his mind was resting one day ahead of where he was currently sitting. Zyra hardly knew the hunter, but she was unsettled, and although she could not explain why, she felt the desire to help him.

"That would depend on where you want to go." Avarin stood up, arching his back in an attempt to stretch his slightly stiff muscles.

"I want you to take me to a cliff deep within the jungle. It should overlook most of the Kumungu." Zyra raised an eyebrow at this.

"That is a long walk, and will take me out of my territory. Why do you want to go there?" Avarin's face seemed to glaze over and again Zyra got the uneasy feeling that he was both there and not there at the same time.

"I just want to enjoy the view. Can you take me?" It was a lie, she knew that, but she wasn't going to deny him his request.

The walk was a slow one, both of them travelling in relative quiet, both for their own reasons. Avarin was just focussing on Zyra's footsteps, making sure not to lose his way while his mind travelled. He would occasionally stare out into the forest, picturing flames beginning to crawl their way up the trunks only to shake his head and refocus on what he had to do, determined not to let it come to pass. Zyra on the other hand spent half her time leading the way and the other half looking over her shoulder in concern, Avarin not looking anything like himself. As they'd walked he'd begun to look more and more pale, as though possessed. The one time Zyra did talk was to offer him water, which he refused. Zyra didn't back down and eventually he conceded, leaning over to drank a drink from the crystal clear pond they had found. A little bit of colour returned to his cheeks, leading Zyra to breath a sigh of relief.

It was evening before Zyra demanded they stop, sitting down and crossing her legs, closing her eyes as if in meditation. Avarin was not ready to rest however.

"We can rest once we reach the top of the cliff, let's keep walking." Zyra slowly opened her eyes and looked at Avarin.

"We are still a good half-days walk from the edge, and there is a storm coming. I don't know how you care for your body, but in my experience my body doesn't cope well with such conditions." Avarin seemed to think on this for a moment before throwing his bow onto the floor in defeat, pacing over to a nearby tree and sitting down. They had left the red-jungle behind some time ago, returning to the greens and browns that normally comforted Avarin, but for some reason he hadn't even noticed the change until now. He ran his hand along the unblemished trunk beside him, suddenly thankful for its presence.

"This won't help." He let his eyes fall back upon Zyra, still seated with her eyes fixed firmly on him.

"Whatever it is you think you are going to find up there, it won't help you." Avarin grunted, turning away from Zyra's judgemental gaze.

"No offense Zyra, but I don't think you can comment on what will help me." Zyra scoffed, standing up and stretching her back.

"Of course I can. I see that look in your eyes, that unrelenting drive, and I know that never leads to a good place."

"Do me a favour Zyra, stop talking and let me decide my own fate."

"Your own fate? Nothing you are doing is possibly going to benefit your own fate!" Avarin shot to his feet, hands flying into the air as he shouted.

"You don't have to help me, you can go back to your children and play the caring mother for as long as you want if that's what you desire. I finally know what I want to do, and if that's not what you want, then please leave." An unsteady silence fell throughout the jungle, a silence so heavy even the wind in the trees seemed to respect its presence. Zyra sat there staring at Avarin, trying to keep her emotions in check while Avarin fought the urge to keel over and cry. He just wanted to help, and he was so convinced this was how he'd do it.

"I don't want to leave you." It was a simple statement, but it seemed to trigger something within Zyra as tears began to form in the corner of her eye, a detail Avarin did not notice.

"Then please stop questioning me, this is what I want." Zyra stood up and, walking over to the hunter, slapped him firmly across the face. Avarin was left speechless.

"No you fool, I don't want to leave _you_." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, her lips pressing firmly against the hunters. There was nothing restrained or sweet about the kiss, passion and lust driving it on and on. When they finally broke apart Avarin was lying on the floor, Zyra's body resting on top of him. He wanted to say something, anything, but all he could think about in that moment was the warmth of Zyra's breath against his neck and the way his core seemed to scream in desire. Before he could stop himself, he pulled her face closer and kissed her again. Zyra's mind was racing, struggling to make sense of her own actions. She'd never felt this way before, but now that she was feeling it she feared she couldn't possibly go back. Her fingers dug into Avarin's back in a desperate attempt to pull him closer, wanting every part of herself to be laid against him. There was a crack of thunder somewhere overhead and rain started to fall on the pair as they quickly made their way under the shelter of the trees, being forced to break their moment of passion. Zyra laughed a little as she rung the dampness out of her hair, blushing profusely as she stole glances at Avarin. For a moment they seemed like two very normal, very ignorant teenagers experiencing love for the first time. In that moment it was so easy for Avarin to forget his struggles, to forget about where he was heading, and focus on nothing but the beautiful girl in front of him. He stepped closer to Zyra and, gently stroking her face, brought her in for a far softer, loving kiss. Zyra practically melted into his touch, her knees struggling to keep herself upright as her mind all but fell apart. He pushed her up against the tree, being sure to put his arm in the way so as not to hurt her. His strength just seemed to drive Zyra on, and she put both her hands on the sides of his face and held him close. He opened his mouth slightly to allow her entry, an opportunity she did not miss. To Zyra, everything was so perfect, a genuine happiness overcoming her.

Then Avarin opened his eyes and pulled away, sucking in air after their extended kiss. He looked Zyra up and down, from her thin legs to her beautiful face, taking special note of her large, lustful eyes. She was so beautiful to him, and he wanted so desperately to be able to take her then and make her happy. But no matter how he thought about it, he knew he did it he'd never forgive himself if he did, and the guilt would tear him apart. For all the beauty that Zyra possessed was not enough to tear Avarin's mind from Nidalee, the huntress possessing something that Zyra never could, something Avarin knew he could never live without. Tears sprang into his eyes as he thought of her and of how he'd treated Zyra, dreading the next few words he muttered.

"I can't." Zyra didn't think her heart could fall further than they did in that moment. As if sensing the mood the rain picked up, more thunder cracking overhead.

"I don't understand. You trusted me, you looked for me, and you even said I was beautiful. What did I do wrong?" She was almost in tears, pleading with Avarin for an explanation. He fell to his knees, his own tears falling to the floor at the sight he had caused.

"You are beautiful, and I can't tell you how much I wish I could make you happy by telling you I love you and that I wanted you too. But that's not what I want Zyra." She wanted to be angry at him, to lash out and hurt him, but she knew she couldn't bring herself to do that. She could see from his face that he spoke the truth, and although it hurt her, she could see he was already facing his own punishment. Brushing away her own tears she stepped up to him, lifting his chin so he could look her in the eyes. She smiled, a genuine smile in the knowledge she was doing what was right.

"Should we meet again, I hope you have found what you want." With one last, chaste kiss Zyra stepped out into the rain, quickly disappearing into the surrounding darkness. Avarin watched as the last strand of red vanished into the wall of rain before curling up beneath the tree, letting his tears take him to an uncomfortable sleep.

The storm was mostly gone by morning, but the rain continued to persist, the odd drops falling from the light grey sky above the trees. Much off the forest floor was now scattered with puddles, but out of some twist of fate Avarin's bed had managed to remain puddle free. He was slow to sit up, able to completely remember what had happened the night before, and fighting the urge to cry at the memory. He knew he'd probably broken her heart, and she had still managed to smile about it and do whatever it took to make him happy. It was a sacrifice he would never forget. It wasn't until after he had managed to get to his feet that he realised that with Zyra gone, he had no way of continuing with his journey to the cliff, although he wasn't even sure now if that was what he truly wanted. That was when he saw it, a solitary red flower blooming amongst the muddy floor. Avarin reached over and picked it up, immediately noticing another flower further up. He smiled sadly to himself, for even heartbroken and alone, Zyra was looking out for him. He followed the path for some time, being sure to touch every flower as he went, as though it would somehow tell Zyra how thankful he was. He somehow found himself recalling a bed-time story he had told to Nidalee one evening, and smiled at how like the princess he was in that moment.

He found the last flower just as the sun showed itself from behind the clouds, and Avarin gasped at what he beheld. Spread out beneath him was the entirety of the Kumungu jungle, a giant map of green brown and red that would always be considered his home. Even from such a distance he could recognise some areas, such as where he had hunted with Nidalee and where Zyra's jungle merged with his territory. The sight was one nobody could ever forget; no matter how long they spent trying. It brought a tear to his eye, and he forced himself to sit down before his knees gave out and he fell off the face to an unfortunate demise. He leant back a little and put his hands by his side to steady him, but he did not meet grass. Looking to his right he found his hand instead rested amongst a small patch of flowers, each one a different shade of red. He whispered a small thankyou to Zyra for guiding him this far, then took his bow off his back and laid it beside the patch of flowers. He knew in that moment that this was where he belonged, this was what he wanted. He watched as birds flew among the canopies, their small chirpings filling the air with a soft melody. He could make out the odd sound of beasts making their way through the jungle, accompanied by the roars and snarls of their predators. It was with these thoughts in his head that he took his vow, swearing upon his very life that he would protect everything his gaze could fall over. He picked up his bow and, standing up, ran a watchful eye across the entire landscape below him. This was his home, and he, its sentinel.

* * *

 **Wait! Don't start getting upset yet! This is not the end!**

 **I know, it feels a little like an ending, but I assure you I do not plan on leaving it here. Expect more chapters soon, and who knows, maybe I will actually give you a romance seen where our shy hunter doesn't pull away before any of the action begins.**

 **Please RFF, and I'll see you all next chapter :)**

 **Sincerely, BJ**


	8. Chapter 8

**Wow, this is so late, sorry guys.**

 **Excuses:  
-Easter, during which I was on holiday, so no writing.  
-Uni, so many assessments last week!  
-This chapter, speaking of which...  
**

 **This chapter is not my favourite, both in terms of how it was written and where it sits in relation to the story. It covers quite a large amount of stuff in a rather short period of time, so sorry if it feels like it is rushing. Important to note is that this is more of a transition, the next few chapters will be much more like the earlier chapters. This will hopefully make more sense after you read the chapter.**

 **That aside, expect more updates from me soon, including another one-shot I have almost completed.**

* * *

One of the truly awe inspiring aspects of a jungle as ancient as the Kumungu is that, in spite of all the changes that can happen around it, the jungle will always persist. As the years passed this began to show more and more, for although the ancient trees remained unchanged, Valoran itself underwent a change that would completely change its future. Noxus and Demacia continued their war, their respective heroes at each other's throats, sometimes quite literally. Ionia went to war with Noxus, a disaster that left both sides scarred, literally and metaphorically. Yet in spite of all this fighting some saw the chance for peace, tentative though it may be, but possible none the less. Thus the Institute was born. Met with great scepticism at first, this simple organisation soon boasted the support of many of the major figures in Valoran and, in spite of the odds, managed to create a peace that would persist for many years to come.

With peace came prosperity, and the effects of this were noticeable. Piltover became a golden state of justice, a role model for many other states. Noxus and Demacia managed to find peace with each other, although old rivalries would always die-hard. Zaun's experimentation began to find progress, and soon their discoveries were grand enough to rival the hex-tech revelations of Piltover. Ionia healed from the scars of their war with Noxus and returned to the tranquil state they once were. Yet not every state reaped the rewards of this peace, and those which refused to change found themselves without the prosperity the shifting times had offered. The changes in the outside did not go unnoticed, and were often viewed with jealous eyes, some people even plotting their own plans to ruin this peace, but they always found themselves thwarted by the Institute.

Deep within the Kumungu though, one kind heart noticed these changes and did not look upon them with jealousy, but instead with curiosity and hope. For too long he had watched over his jungle in hopes of maintaining its beauty, when maybe the true way to protect it was by teaching it to move forward. It was for this reason that, many years after he came to the Kumungu in search of a sanctuary, Avarin found himself exiting the great jungle. He let him smile at the irony that, after all this time, he was leaving with almost exactly what he had taken with him; the clothes on his back and his bow by his side. For the last five years Avarin had kept his promise to the Kumungu, keeping out any perceived threats. He had also spent some time searching for his lost lover, but had concluded long ago that she was gone, although where he could not know. It had taken some time before he heard word of the Institute and its goals. He could still remember the day, scouting out the border towards the Yordle provinces when he had overheard a pair of lost yordles. Unbeknownst to them, Avarin had secretly lead them out of the jungle, but it was Avarin who found himself thankful for the opportunity. He had got to hear tales of champions, yordle and otherwise, fighting together to protect their homelands. For the next month Avarin had spent his time on the outskirts of the jungle in hopes of hearing more about this group that fought for their homelands. It was not hard to collect information, it seemed these champions were known by almost everyone Avarin encountered. Having heard enough to convince him this was his path, he had made the decision to leave his home after many long years.

However, aside from the stories he had heard from soldiers and farmers in the borderlands, Avarin had little idea what the Institute actually was. His first destination were the cities that surrounded the base of Mt Targon, where he got a large number of strange looks. It didn't take him long to realise it was what he was wearing, and quickly made a point of getting some more normal clothes for the area. Money proved to be no issue, Avarin having made a point of taking what he could from Noxian soldiers who strayed too far into the jungle in case of such situations as this. Soon he found himself travelling north towards the Institute, armor now replacing the loincloth he would typically have worn. It was uncomfortable wearing full clothes after so long wearing so little, but it at least kept away the wandering eyes of strangers. Finding the Institute proved to be far easier than he had anticipated, many merchants and travellers making their way towards the fabled destination. He soon learnt he was not the only one with hopes of joining the institute, many warriors from other lands likewise seeking an audience with the summoners. He hadn't stopped to consider if he would be accepted, he simply assumed he would. You could call it instinct if you wish, but whatever it was, Avarin was certain he would find his purpose at the Institute.

After three days of travelling, during which he had negotiated and befriended many a trader on the roads in hopes of a meal and a bed, he found himself at the entrance to the Institute of War. For a place that was supposed to enforce peace throughout all of Valoran, Avarin found the sight somewhat anticlimactic. He'd been expecting walls twenty feet tall with a hundred guards walking the battlements. He was anticipating inspections and interrogations as strangers came from all over the land to enter the city, but he saw none of this. Once one got through the maze of stalls that were set up surrounding the Institute, they were faced with a single rather large building. Avarin figured it could probably hold a small army, but it was certainly smaller than he'd been expecting. He noted a few guards set up out the front, happy at least some part of what he'd been expecting was true. Next step; join the Institute. Avarin wasn't entirely sure what he'd been expecting, a giant sign hanging on a wall stating 'here's where you sign up'? He meandered his way around the building until he finally found a group of people who, judging by how official they looked in their robes, were not amongst the travellers that journeyed to the Institute. Avarin decided he had little to lose and approached the group.

"I want to join the Institute." Most of the group didn't acknowledge him, but the man standing closest to him turned around, looking him up with a pair of critical eyes.

"Yeah, you and a thousand other mercenaries. How about you do us all a favour and fuck off?" Avarin rarely had any use for swearing in the jungle, but he had learnt of such words from his observations. He wasn't impressed.

"Do I look like a mercenary to you?" The rest of the group had started to take an interest now, more ears gradually turning to the conversation.

"Oh, apologise, let me guess; soldier? No, wait, you'd have to be a hunter, that would explain the bow. It doesn't make a difference, go away." Avarin was slowly losing his patience for the rude man, but managed to keep his anger in check.

"What kind of Institute claims to give people the right to fight for peace but would turn around someone who wants to do that?" The man laughed.

"I've met your kind before hunter, you don't want peace, you want fame and fortune. What's your name?"

"Avarin."

"Ah, that would be Noxian. Let me guess, you were forced to join the military at a young age, probably under the guise that they needed you and that you would grow to be one of the greatest soldiers they'd ever have." Avarin felt his blood begin to boil at the insinuation, and he found himself absent-mindedly clenching his fists. The man continued, blissfully ignorant.

"It wasn't until you were thrown into battle under the service of some general that you realised you were nothing more than a pawn, and that everything you did was for nought. You were nothing to anybody, and so you became desperate to earn a name for yourself. You tried hunting but could never find a worthy prey, and soon you were entirely forgotten. Now you have come to the Institute in a last attempt to make something of yourself, and I'm afraid you can't. I have listened to stories like yours hundreds of times before, so please spare me my breath and just leave." Avarin snapped, grabbing the man by the robe he was wearing and lifting him a good foot into the air. The man let out a small yelp as his feet left the ground, and Avarin smiled internally at this. He stared right into the man's eyes, making sure the fear he desired was there.

"Noxus never did anything for me, that's why I left. I've spent the last half of my life in the Kumungu, not giving a single damn what people like you in the outside world think of me. I have hunted and killed creatures you couldn't begin to fathom, and I've made a greater name for myself than you could ever hope to achieve. I don't want your bloody fame or fortune, I want to fight for the Kumungu." One of the other men in the group came up and put a hand on Avarin's soldier, and slowly he dropped the man he was holding up. He hit the ground with a satisfying thud, then backed away as fast as he could. The new man stepped in front of Avarin, tilting the hunter's head so he could look into his eyes.

"You speak the truth." It wasn't a question, it was a statement of what the man knew. He began to make his way towards the front of the institute, urging Avarin to follow. He motioned to the guards and they stepped aside, allowing Avarin and the man to enter. Once inside and alone, the man turned once more to Avarin, arms crossed and brow furrowed as though deep in contemplation.

"You'll take some work, but maybe I can get you through your judgement and onto the fields." For someone with no real information of what the Institute did, the last sentence made absolutely no sense to Avarin. Doing his best to appear as the stalwart warrior he hoped to sell himself as, he let his curiosity guide his tongue.

"What exactly are you talking about?" The man laughed a little at this, gripping Avarin's shoulder in a friendly gesture.

"You wanted in, and I'm going to try and get that for you." Avarin tried to contain his emotions, but he couldn't help the smile that crossed his face.

"We try not to get too involved with champions, or prospectus champions, so you can simply know me as a summoner. I can't promise you a place, but I can promise you consideration. Until then, you are welcome to stay with the other champions. If you're lucky, you may even get a game or two on the rift while other summoner's consider your claim. Obviously they'll have questions, and there are a list of rules you shall have to acquaint yourself with, but I can fill you in on those later." The summoner made to leave, but Avarin was still standing there trying to process all of this. When the summoners topped and raised an eyebrow at the hunter, he finally found his voice.

"You can just do all of that? All you know of me is what I've said of myself and what I did in the market, and you are offering me a home amongst the champions?" The summoner nodded.

"Temporarily at least. Trust me, if it is found out that you have absolutely no claim and what you said was false, I'll be first among the summoners waiting to issue a punishment. But I trust you, is there a reason I shouldn't?" Avarin began to see through the kind façade. Yes, this summoner was being extremely generous in the opportunity he provided. Yet if Avarin did not deliver, he would not simply be walking out. This was not going to be an easy couple of weeks.

Avarin however was not too fazed. He had nothing to hide, and all his stories were true. He smiled at the summoner, finally heading deeper into the Institute. The halls were mostly empty, save for the occasional summoner who barely spared them a glance, seemingly too busy to spare time for a stranger.

"So will you be allying yourself with Noxus?" Avarin laughed at this, momentarily forgetting the summoner knew not of his relationship with his home.

"Not in a million years." The summoner chuckled to himself.

"Bad memories?"  
"A lack of them more like."

"Any state of preference then?"

"Kumungu." The summoner stopped in his tracks, turning and raising an eyebrow at Avarin.

"You seriously want to represent the jungle?" Avarin narrowed his eyes.

"Is there a problem with that?" The summoner sighed, rubbing his temple.

"No problem per say, it's just their rooms are in the complete opposite direction." The summoner started heading back the way they had came, Avarin breathing a sigh of relief. He hadn't realised exactly how tense he was, the foreign situation he found himself in playing upon his nerves. He tried to think of home, of the colours of the undergrowth to the whistle through the trees. He closed his eyes, prolonging the image of home. When he opened them again, the visions did not disappear. The pristine halls were now coated in vines and flowers, all of which Avarin could recognise. He almost gasped as the entered a small courtyard, a giant, familiar flower sprouting from the ground.

"This will be your room for the time being." Avarin turned to see the summoner opening a door for him, an invitation he gladly accepted. The room was nothing spectacular, a simple bed surrounded by simple furniture with an equally simple kitchen and living area to match. The jungle still grew throughout the room though, so Avarin felt at home.

"I will take my leave then, try to settle in and say hi to your neighbours. Do you know any other champions?" Avarin shook his head, throwing his bow onto his bed.

"Well, I'm sure you'll get to meet them." Noting the lack of a bag, the summoner added.

"I'll also look into getting you some more clothes, can't have you wearing the one set of armour all day." With that the summoner bowed and took his leave, allowing Avarin to acquaint himself with the room. He knew he should try and meet some of the other champions, but at that point he was so tired he threw himself on his bed and was asleep in a matter of seconds.

He was awoken some time later by a knocking on the door. He hadn't noticed before but his room had no window, meaning he had absolutely no clue what time it was. Opennign the door, he was greeted once more by the summoner.

"Good evening summoner." The summoner raised an eyebrow.

"Evening? It's been a good twelve hours since we talked, it's morning." Avarin just stood there in shock as the summoner shook his head.

"No matter, come, it seems you are lucky enough to have a game." This caught Avarin's attention, and he quickly followed to catch up to the summoner.

"Is it normal to get games this quickly."

"Not at all, but after your display in the markets yesterday the summoners are interested to see what you have to offer. Do you know the basics of The Rift?" Avarin shook his head, not realising what he was saying was quite a big deal to the summoner.

"You mean you have never seen a match at the Institute? Do you even know what The Rift is?"

"I've spent the majority of my life living in a jungle, should I know?" The summoner's jaw dropped.

"Ok then, I have a lot of work to do." It was a rushed job, but by the time the pair reached the summoning platform Avarin had at least a basic understanding of the rules.

"So, am I likely to go 'adc' then because of my prowess with a bow?" The summoner shook his head.

"We were actually thinking that, if what you say is true, you'd best be suited for the jungle. Just treat it like a normal hunt, I'll tell you when to try anything different, got it?" Avarin nodded his head, earning a smile from the summoner.

"Ok, last things, what do you want to take in with you? Your bow obviously, anything else?"

"I'll take a hunting knife if it's on offer." The summoner nodded.

"Consider it done." The summoner walked towards the door.

Just as he was about to vanish, he yelled back at Avarin.

"Brace yourself." Avarin didn't even have time to heed the request before he felt as though his soul was being ripped from his body. He felt light, as though he could float away, and he watched as his body seemed to dissolve around him. He tried to scream but no sound came out, he tried to move but his limbs would not listen. He thought he was done for, as though this were the end, before he opened his eyes and everything seemed to return to normal. He jumped to his feet, finding himself in a very unfamiliar place. It looked kind of like a temple, statues and relics littering the courtyard before opening out into a jungle-like landscape.

"First time is always the toughest." Avarin looked up at the source of the voice, a little startled at the sight. The man, if he could call it that, would have stood easily seven feet tall, and seemed to have a dog's head. It was an odd combination, but any desire to laugh was drowned out by how muscular the man was, and the giant weapon he wielded. The man clearly wasn't talkative, departing the still slightly nauseous Avarin, heading northwards.

"You're funny." Avarin hadn't noticed the tiny figure next to the giant, the young girl smiling up at him while swinging her arms back and forward. Avarin had to smile at the sight of the teddy bear she carried with her.

"That's a nice bear you have there." The girl beamed up at him.

"You like my bear Tibbers?" The girl didn't wait for an answer though, skipping her way down the middle lane. Finally feeling like his head wasn't clouded, Avarin took the time to better take in his surroundings. There was a small shopkeeper looking at him expectantly, a detail that the summoner had taken the courtesy of explaining to him. He still couldn't quite get the idea around buying items that weren't really items, but apparently it was very important. Picking up whatever the man recommended, Avarin made his way out of the temple and into the jungle. The moment he could no longer see the lanes and was amongst the trees, Avarin felt significantly more comfortable, allowing himself to relax and take a typical hunting stance. He could hear movement around him, and allowed his instincts to lead the way as he began the hunt.

The first few monsters he'd come across had been easy enough to slay. A few lumbering rock monsters and some small birds hardly a match for the trained hunter. He quickly set his eyes on bigger prey, heading further into the jungle. He felt a chill travel up his spine as his hairs seemed to stand on end. It had been along time since he'd felt this sensation, the rush of adrenaline as you value your life, the fear that grips you to the bone; he was being hunted. This area of jungle was not particularly generous in terms of cover, Avarin well and truly out in the open. The flip side of that though was that there weren't really that many places a hunter could hide in either. He ran his eyes along the tree-line, eyeing each bush with a critical eye. That was when he saw it, the faint hue of purple amongst the green. He drew his bow, but was far too slow. The creature was upon him in an instance, claw like appendages tearing at his face. Avarin managed to kick the beast off him, drawing his bow to fire a shot, only to see nothing. He wasn't naïve enough to believe the hunter was gone, but he certainly could not see him. Then he heard laughter. Turning at the last possible moment, Avarin was able to raise his bow just in time to block the attack, his weapon spinning off onto the nearby ground. The two hunters just stared at each other, both silent and unmoving. The monster's eyes flicked towards Avarin's bow on the floor, knowing that he had to prevent his adversary getting his hands on it. Avarin saw the glance, and knew he had to get to it first. He drew the hunting knife the summoner had given to him, waiting for his moment.

There wasn't really any signal so to speak, but they both knew when to react. Avarin boltted towards his weapon, being sure to keep the creature in the corner of his eye. The latter leapt towards the sprinting hunter, blades falling towards Avarin's neck. The monster landed, but did not connect with his target. In the moment before the creature had landed, Avarin had struck the soft soil with the knife, bringing him to a halt faster than his adversary could have conceived. It had sent a jolt through his shoulder, but it was better than the blade-like claws that would likely have ended his life. The creature, confused as to where his prey had gone, was not prepared as Avarin leapt upon his back, running the knife along his body, earning a blood curdling scream. The creature leapt away into the nearby bush, and Avarin took his opportunity to pick up his bow. He raised his arrow, but was no longer able to see his prey. He slowly approached the bush, stepping inside, only to find it empty.

"He's invisible, look out!" A shot was fired, followed by a screech. Turning towards the sound, he just managed to see the monster leap over the nearby wall. But he was too slow, Avarin had already fired his shot, ending the creatures life. There was a rumble before a booming voice sounded over the field.

"First blood!" Avarin stared at where he had fired his shot, realisation dawning on him. He had just slain his first enemy as part of the Institute, and he hadn't even realised it.

"Kha'Zix will never live this down, dying to the newbie in his first fight." Avarin turned on the stranger, raising his bow. The small figure put two blue hands in the air, her large cannon falling by her hip.

"Whoa, hold up there, I'm a teammate. Name's Tristana, and you are?" The hunter looked at the yordle in surprise. In his experience, yordle's were peaceful, not the kind to enter an institute built around fighting.

"Avarin. You're a yordle." Tristana raised an eyebrow at this.

"What? Yordles can't fight?" Avarin laughed at her attempt at sounding imposing.

"In my experience, no, but I'm happy to be wrong." Tristana huffed, looking him up and down.

"May make a champion of you yet. Well, if you get bored of hunting monsters, bot lane is always open." With that the yordle was on her way, heading back the way she had came.

Avarin returned to hunting throughout the jungle, but that soon became quite redundant and he began to look for bigger prey. At first he'd hoped to find the creature Kha'Zix again, but it seemed he had skulked off not to be seen. There had been a couple of other announcements as he hunted, most seeming to say that his team was winning, a welcome sound to the new kid on the block. After killing the golems for his second time, he decided to take Tristana up on her offer. Exiting the jungle, he saw the yordle up a little further throwing shots at the small spirits that seemed to wander along aimlessly. Sneaking up as close as he could, using the nearby bushes as cover, he managed to get within ear-shot of Trsitana.

"So how does this usually work?" Trsistana smiled.

"Their lane will come back soon, and when they do I let them get closer and closer to my tower. Once they are close enough to you, jump them, and we'll follow up."

"We?" Trsistana laughed.

"Well, it should be 'we', if my support gets back in time. She's usually reliable, so I wouldn't be too concerned." Avarin nodded, drawing his bow and readying himself to leap from the bush. As predicted, the enemy pair kept pushing closer and closer to the bush Avarin was waiting in, the hunter taking deep breaths to calm himself. The hunt was no place to lose control. The moment the strange ghost-like creature stepped out of place, Avarin and Tristana jumped him.

"Go for Thresh!" Avarin had absolutely no clue what that meant, but he took down the unfortunate support incredibly quickly. The other adversary had caught on, already making their way back towards the turret. Tristana said to let them go, but Avarin was not prepared to see his prey escape. He sprinted after the target, bow raised. He fired a shot, only to have the lithe marksman tumble to the side at the last second. Avarin was quickly closing the distance, but he knew he would not make it before his target got to safety.

He was therefore shocked when, appearing in the marksman's path appeared a giant, spined plant that started to swing at the fleeing enemy. They tried to move away from the horror, but found themselves unable to move as its roots seemed to crawl their way up her legs. She finally broke free, taking a step back into the awaiting clutches of Avarin who, with one swift bolt, struck his target through the chest. With a final grunt, her body gave way and she fell forward. Avarin barely spared a glance for the unfortunate marksman, his attention instead focussed on the peculiar plant that had appeared in the lane. He took a cautious step forward before running his hand along the blade-like edge.

"That's a little terrifying."

"Pity, you used to call them beautiful." Even after many years, he could still recognise the sweet voice of the woman who had saved him all those years ago. They'd barely spent more than a couple of days together, but every detail of her was forever etched into the back of his mind. He turned, eyes running up perfect legs to a beautifully curved body. In all the time that had passed she'd done very little to change her looks. His eyes eventually met hers, glowing amber framed by the most beautiful red hair, flowing down her back. Unlike the youthful figure she had once been, she no longer held the innocent features Avarin had been entranced by, her features pointed and aggressive, giving her a far more matured look, which seemed appropriate giving the time that had passed. Avarin slowly took a step towards the mage, running a soft hand along her cheek, earning him the slightest hints of a blush.

"Zyra." The mage smiled at his voice, gently pushing him away.

"Now is not the time for reunions, we have a match to win." The mage walked past him towards Tristana, who was currently watching the show with an abundance of curiosity. The duo began to make their way up the lane and away from Avarin, the hunter seemingly rooted to the spot. It wasn't until he heard the familiar cackle of Kha'Zix that he returned to his senses, suddenly wanting nothing more than to finish his first match.

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 **Hurrah! Reunited! Let the story continue :)**

 **Hopefully the 'transition' idea makes more sense now.**

 **As always, please RFF, and I hope to have more content out soon.**

 **-BJ**


	9. Chapter 9

**I finally got around to doing my profile's bio, which I've been putting off for so long. Now I can rest assured that it is there for nobody to ever read...**

 **Anyway, new chapter coming your way, returning a little more to the romance side of things we love so much. There is still a bit of content setting up for the rest of the story, but it should feel more familiar than last chapter.**

 **Also, guys, how did none of you notice I names the first five chapters then forgot about the rest? I believe I fixed them, but it if it has stuffed up it wouldn't be the first time. If you notice an inconsistency like that, please point it out, I felt like a fool :P**

 **There are a few messages at the end which I implore you to take the time to read, but even if you don't, please enjoy the chapter!**

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Chapter 9 - Selflessness

The game only lasted twenty minutes, Avarin's team continuing their aggression until all hope of a comeback was gone. Avarin himself managed to gain a few more kills, either from confrontations in the jungle or from heading to bot-lane. Overall, he found the match quite easy, although he imagined it would not always be like this. After the formalities were over the champions found themselves back at the Institute, most heading off in their own direction, although a few stayed back to chat.

"Nice work out there newbie." Tristana offered him a high-five that, although it looked a little ridiculous to be high-fiving a yordle, he happily accepted. The pair chatted for a little longer, Avarin trying to learn a little more about the yordle gunner. He began to feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up, a chill running down his spine. He looked over his shoulder to the glowing eyes of the creature Kha'Zix, standing reclusively in one of the corners.

"Don't worry too much about him, he's just salty that you smashed him." The creature suddenly disappeared, leaving the group of champions.

"He's a little scary. Where is he from?"

"The void, although he apparently spent a good amount of time in the Kumungu." This caught Avarin's attention.

"The Kumungu? Are you sure?" Trsistana nodded.

"Yep, him and Rengar had this big hunt thingy going on, I don't know the details, but it was a little intense. Where are you from exactly?"

"Kumungu." Tristana's eyes grew a little larger.

"Oh, well, I'd try and have a chat with Rengar then. He isn't the brightest of sparks, but he can be good company." Avarin nodded absent-mindedly, his mind wandering towards the figure he just saw leaving the room. Zyra had refused to talk to him for the rest of the match, always just offering him a smile that sent his mind spinning. He desperately wanted to see her, but he also didn't want to miss the opportunity to meet some of the other champions.

"What about Nidalee? Do you know her?" Avarin was too distracted to hear Tristana's question, the yordle noticing the hunter's distracted look and following it just in time to see Zyra leaving the room. She offered him a gentle punch in the leg to get his attention.

"You zoned out for a moment there." Avarin chuckled.

"Sorry, been a busy morning, what did you say?" Tristana waved her hand.

"Not important, how do you know Zyra?" Avarin's gaze returned again to the door Zyra had left through, a forlorn expression overtaking his face.

"The story is a little complicated, but she saved my life once, and then helped me find a meaning for it." Tristana frowned, muttering the sentence under her breath to try and figure out what he meant. In the end she gave up.

"Well, whatever that is supposed to mean, you better go talk to her." She gave him an encouraging push towards the door, and Avarin offered her a small hug before leaving on his way; he really didn't need much encouraging.

He managed to recall the path back to the Kumungu quarters, although he inevitably made a wrong turn or two along the way. He got a few strange looks from summoners and champions alike, the latter possessing a highly critical eye, as though sizing him up. He was glad when the clean walls dissolved into plant life, the jungle air soothing him. He looked down the hall at the collection of rooms, knowing one of them probably housed Zyra, though he had no clue which one it was. He approached the first door on his right, opposite his, knocking gently. There was the sound of shuffling before the door was opened, Avarin's jaw almost dropping at the sight. Before him stood the largest cat he had ever seen, and he'd seen some big ones. The creature wore a patch over one of his eyes, the other scanning his surroundings for the source of the noise. Eventually his eyes fell to the hunter in front of him, both standing in silence. Avarin wasn't sure who the creature was, or what they were like, so he subtly reached behind him towards his bow. Then the creature smiled and any sense of hostility was forgotten.

"You must be the new kid! Is it true you kicked the ass off that forsaken void bug?" Avarin relaxed, realising there was no threat here.

"Kha'Zix?" The creature reached forward and embraced the hunter, the action a little awkward but certainly not hostile.

"That's my boy! Anyone who does that in their first game is a friend of mine. Name's Rengar, and you are?"

"Avarin. Word travels fast around here." Rengar grunted, nodding his head.

"Yeah, although it helps when you know one of the champions."

"You mean Zyra?" Rengar nodded, stretching.

"Saw her not five minutes ago, said I should find you. Suppose it's kind of funny that you found me first." Avarin smiled.

"You wouldn't happen to know which room is hers?" Rengar nodded, pointing down the hall.

"Far end on your left. I'd be careful though, the girls like their peace."

"Girls?" Rengar smiled and winked at the hunter.

"Yep, not that I've had any luck with them. You seem young and fit though, I reckon you could score twice." Avarin blushed, not entirely sure how to respond. The taller man just laughed, offering a rather hard pat on the back.

"Look forward to seeing how you fight. Until the rift." With that peculiar salutation the other hunter was gone, re-entering his room and leaving Avarin alone in the hall. He made his way down the hall towards Zyra's room, stopping to look at some of the other doors. Most seemed untouched, as though empty, which wasn't much of a surprise to Avarin. The Kumungu wasn't well known for its hospitality. The room next to Zyra's however was adorned with a collection of different flowers, many of which Avarin recognised. Temptation getting the better of him, he knocked on the door to meet the owner. He could hear somebody moving in the room.

"You seem to be one door off." He turned to meet the eyes of Zyra, the mage standing aside to allow him into the room. Smiling, he accepted her invitation and entered her room. Once inside he heard another door open, Zyra turning to her neighbour.

"Wrong room dear, apologies." Avarin heard a voice mumble something before a door closed abruptly, Zyra shrugging in response.

"Problem?" Zyra sighed.

"Let's just say that we don't get along very well." Avarin took the opportunity to observe the room. It was much the same as his, except where he had furniture Zyra preferred garden, the space literally blooming where one would expect to see a couch. Another difference was that, unlike his room, Zyra's possessed a window, and what a view it offered. What Avarin hadn't seen as he approached the Institute were the magnificent gardens it possessed. He had to assume it was off limits to the general public; otherwise he was sure the merchants would have readily taken advantage of the large expanses of green grass the seemed to stretch out for miles before merging with the surrounding forest. Interspaced amongst the grassy planes were walled gardens brimming with roses, chrysanthemums and tulips, contrasting to larger bushes that dropped cherry and apple blossom onto the otherwise pristine ground. In the distance Avarin could make out two young children playing peacefully on the grass, the sight bringing a smile to his face. He hadn't beheld something so sublime in many years.

"You like the view?" Zyra had closed the door, turning to see Avarin staring out the window.

"It's incredible." He took a few steps forward, watching as the plants shifted around his feet so as not to be crushed. This place was definitely Zyra's.

The mage herself strutted past Avarin, seating herself in the middle of her plants, motioning for Avarin to join her. He slowly sat down, not entirely trusting the plants to move in time. Once he was finally seated he found himself able to relax.

"Not a fan of your children?" Zyra frowned before realising he was still talking about her neighbour, the mage shaking her head.

"More a matter of ideals. She is a purist, convinced the Kumungu is perfect as it is and that my presence is a disease. Nonsense really." Zyra held out her hand as a bush grew from the ground next to her, a large pinkish fruit forming before dropping onto her hand. She placed it next to her and repeated the process, offering the other to Avarin. The hunter took it, observing it sceptically. Zyra laughed at this, finally offering Avarin the warm smile he remembered from so long ago.

"It's a peach, it won't bite." She continued to watch him, waiting for him to take the first bite. He began to see what this was to her; a test of trust. It had been a long time, during which she had left her jungle for the Institute, a decision which no doubt led to her meeting a lot of people who saw her as evil. The look in her eyes told Avarin she wanted to believe he trusted her, but she had to be sure. Avarin raised the fruit to his mouth, taking a large bite. It was tangier than most peaches, the flavour more wild than the sweet fruits often farmed by yordles and Demacians. Zyra followed his lead, greedily digging into her own peach. Avarin actually chuckled at how messy an eater she was.

"Isn't this some sort of filicide for you?" Zyra stopped devouring her sweet, looking up at Avarin, a confused look on her face.

"Filicide? What is that exactly?"

"I heard about it from a hermit near the Voodoo lands, something like killing your children." Zyra's face turned a deep shade of red, and she put her peach on the floor next to her, the seed disappearing into the ground.

"I most certainly am not harming my children, but thanks for putting me off my meal. When exactly did you head to the Voodoo lands?" Avarin scrunched his face up as he tried to remember.

"It would have been about a year ago. I tried to steer clear of their lands, but my pursuits took me that way."

"To the Voodoo lands?" Avarin laughed nervously.

"It's a pretty long story."

"We have a long time." Avarin shook his head, stretching a little as he considered how to approach his story.

"I caught word of a lumberjack who was cutting down tree in the Kumungu for his home. Usually such petty cases could be dealt with through simple threats, but he was particularly persistent." Zyra raised a curious eyebrow.

"Could you not handle him?" Avarin lifted his shirt, Zyra trying to hold back her gasp at the sight. He was well toned, just as she'd expected, and the full view of his body was certainly detracting from Avarin's words. He pointed to a scar just below his right nipple.

"Managed to clip me with one of his damn axes. Figured it'd probably take more than threats to convince him." Snapping out of her moment of perversion, Zyra laughed.

"How on earth did he manage to hit you?" Avarin blushed.

"It'd been a long day and I was slow, stupid mistake really. Anyway, I talked to some of the locals and found the man, and the problem was dealt with. Took a little longer than expected, the social skills of those people are more primitive than the jungle beasts." Zyra laughed, thankful Avarin finally pulled his shirt back down, the temptation to stare removed. She rubbed her wrists awkwardly. She really wanted to talk and hear his stories, but she was never known for her patience, and there was one question she really wanted to ask.

"And what of your other pursuits? Did you find what you wanted?" Avarin had hoped they could have simply caught up without needing to bring up the day he'd left her, or had she left him? Even after all this time he wasn't entirely sure. He reached behind him and took his bow off his back, manoeuvring it around his head. The bow never left his side, and it was for that reason he had taken to using it as more than just a weapon. He followed the engravings he'd etched into his bow until he reach the tip, pulling off a small red flower that seemed to bloom out of the wood and handing it to Zyra. She gently took the bloom, finding herself completely speechless.

"I helped Kumungu in more ways than I ever could have imagined, even coming to the Institute is in service to it if I'm perfectly honest. I found my purpose, but that wasn't enough." Zyra placed the small flower on the floor and watched as it grew and burst into colour, the bloom taking on shades and designs Zyra barely thought possible. Even Avarin was staring in awe at the bloom.

"Well, it never did that before." Zyra managed to find her voice, but it was distant and barely louder than a whisper.

"It has taken traits from all the lands you've journeyed to; vibrant colours from the yordle forests and defensive markings from the Voodoo lands to name a few. Is this really one of the flowers…"

"That you left for me at the summit?" Avarin smiled, nodding his head.

"Everywhere I went I took it with me, and it never wilted. In some small way I felt like I was carrying a small part of you, keeping the protection you offered me." Zyra felt tears forming in her eyes.

"Why is it whenever you show up things get more complicated." Avarin wasn't prepared as Zyra shuffled over and embraced him, letting her tears drip down his shoulder. He eventually came to his senses and returned her embrace, resting his head on hers. She smelt absolutely divine, and the embrace felt so overwhelmingly right, as though Avarin had finally found another piece of what he'd been searching for all these years. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he let his mind permanently imprint this moment.

Then the guilt hit him. It started as a slight pang and soon turned into overwhelming agony. He'd spent so many years lusting over Zyra, her beauty truly unrivalled by any other being in this world. All save one. Avarin wasn't sure how long he'd spent searching for Nidalee before he accepted what he saw as the inevitable truth; the Noxians had found her first. It had been a hard reality to accept at first, his love slaughtered because of a decision he'd made as a child. He'd spent a few nights unable to find sleep, dark whispers tormenting him as his mind tore him apart. It was when it began to affect his ability to care for the jungle that he learnt to control it, pushing Nidalee from his mind through devotion to his duty. That wasn't to say he never thought about her after that, he would often recall the warmth of her body as he finally found a peaceful sleep, waking up with a sense of something being absent. His grip tightened around Zyra, as though holding her closer would somehow take his mind of the huntress. Zyra noticed.

"You didn't find her did you?" Avarin lifted his head from Zyra's, looking at her in confusion. He couldn't recall ever telling her about Nidalee, or about another girl at all.

"What do you mean?" Zyra just chuckled to herself.

"Do you think me so ignorant? I know a man in love, and I know when that love is not for me. I knew it all those years ago just as I know it now." Avarin ran a hand along her cheek, fighting back tears.

"She's dead, and it's my fault." Zyra returned the gesture, trying to offer what little consolation she could. She had hoped for a long time Avarin would return to her, he was still the only man she'd ever met who didn't instantly condemn her, Rengar being the only possible exception, but the hunter was frequently too dim-witted to be taken seriously. She'd gone a long time with sleepless nights as Avarin tormented her dreams, offering her his warmth only to take it away as her eyes opened in the morning. Just as she did all those moons ago she wanted to be angry at Avarin for doing this to her, but she couldn't. Now he was back again, the love she'd competed with gone. This was her chance, but she could not bring herself to take it. She smiled to herself at the ridiculousness of it, since when did she develop such a moral high ground? She leant in and kissed Avarin, a soft kiss laced with sympathy and love, but devoid of passion.

"I can't replace her. I'm glad you are back Avarin, and that is enough for me." With that Zyra pulled away and stood up. Avarin's mind was still computing what she had said. He felt pained at being turned down by the girl he'd longed for some time, yet relieved at the same time that he would not have to deal with the guilt that plagued him. He stood up and offered Zyra a final, friendly embrace before leaving. He stood outside her room for a little, not sure what to do now.

"Are you a mage?" Avarin turned to the voice, a large tree-like creature staring at him with a pair of mystical eyes. He'd never seen anything quite like it before, and he was lost for words. The treant didn't seem to react one way or another to the silence, waiting patiently before repeating his question.

"Are you a mage?" Avarin shook himself out of his trance, shaking his head.

"No, simply a hunter." The treant grunted.

"Then welcome to the Institute, I am Maokai, and my friend here is Malphite." Avarin looked to where Maokai had gestured, astonished to find that the rock-like object he hadn't even bothered to recognise earlier was a living entity. The golem, Malphite, didn't say anything, instead preferring to stare at the hunter. Realising the peculiar duo were not overly talkative, Avarin took the initiative.

"So, do you two represent the Kumungu too?" Malphite laughed, Maokai simply shaking his head.

"We represent Valoran in general, protecting it from the threat magic poses." Malphite raised an eyebrow at his companion.

"Well, I do at least, this rock-head here just tags along most of the time." Malphite seemed to consider this for a moment, not entirely sure if what Maokai said was an insult. Avarin smiled at the joke.

"What brings you two to the Kumungu quarters then?"

"We live here, the jungle is the most natural place in all of Valoran, an obvious choice really." Malphite grunted, getting Maokai's attention. The treant sighed, turning his attention back to Avarin.

"It was nice to meet you hunter, but we have a match to attend. Until the rift." There was the same saying again, Avarin beginning to assume it was a convention amongst the champions.

"Until the rift." Maokai offered the hunter a smile before leaving with his friend. The treant stopped however a short way down the hall, turning back to say something to Avarin.

"I'd be careful with those two by the way, mages are hard to trust." He pointed at Zyra's door and the door decorated in flowers. Avarin smiled politely, although he was fairly convinced he could trust Zyra.

"I'll keep that in mind." Avarin spared another glance at the door he'd knocked on earlier, not sure what to expect on the other side. Was it to be a mage like Zyra who was one with plants? The flowers seemed to suggest an affiliation of sorts. Or was it possible she was a hunter like Rengar, not the brightest champion around but with senses keener than even his own. All it would take is a second of his time, to reach out and knock.

But he didn't, instead choosing to head down the hall to his room, almost collapsing onto the bed. It had been a long morning, and although he knew it was too early in the day to sleep, he needed the rest. After all, who knew what the evening would bring.

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 **How close can Avarin come to discovering Nidalee but fall short? Hope you found the trend as enjoyable as I did!**

 **Anyway, I got a review last chapter about abilities, and while I'm not 100% sure what they wanted (Description of Avarin's abilities? More conflict in general?) I still felt it rose some things worth addressing. This piece is very much focussed on the romance side of things, and while it is true they are at the institute, I don't want to write whole chapters worth of conflict. That being said, there will be more conflict scenes upcoming, and so you will get to see more of Avarin fighting other champions. Also on that note, I am not a believer that the abilities we use in game reflect what the actual conflict would look like, so when Avarin pulls a stunt like putting the knife in the floor, I don't think that'd be an ability he would have in game. This isn't so applicable now, but when I describe other champions pulling moves which seem inconsistent with their in game abilities, that is why.**

 **On that note, I do actually have champion concepts for all my OCs, whether they be General Fole (from _Sentimental_ ), Feykin (from _Of Gods and Yordles_ \- and yes, that name is a spoiler! Good on you for noticing if you did!) or, indeed, Avarin. If you are really interested in my concepts, send me a PM and I will happily discuss them.**

 **Special mentions to R4ptorCS for the brilliant review last chapter! Things like that make all the time I spend writing truly worth it, so please RFF :)**

 **Until the rift!  
**

 **BJ**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys, it's Friday and here is your update. Sorry content is low across my other stories, mid-semester exams coming up and I'm pretty bogged down, so I've been funnelling my time into what is probably my most popular story at the moment. If you have sent me a PM and haven't heard back, apologies, I will hopefully get around to it over the next couple of days.**

 **For what is essentially a pretty important chapter, I have very little to say of note, save that the next chapter will be big. Sorry, maybe I didn't stress that enough, the next chapter will be _BIG_. As such, it may take a little longer to get out to you guys, but it is under way. As always, RFF, and enjoy this fast-paced chapter.  
** **-BJ**

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Chapter 10 - Rift

It was well into the evening when Avarin was pulled from his stirrings. He had slept for a good long while, but even after waking found himself simply too exhausted after everything that had happened in the past week to bring himself to do much. He had considered visiting Rengar, he seemed friendly enough, or maybe even Maokai, but instead chose to entertain himself in his room, cleaning his bow and rearranging his furniture so the place felt more homely. That occupied him for a while, but he soon got bored. The knock on his door was a huge relief. Avarin wasted no time rushing over and opening it, expecting to see another champion but instead being met with the summoner.

"Well done with the match this morning, you caused quite a stir amongst the summoners." The summoner held out his arms, a small bundle of clothes in them.

"As promised, something for your wardrobe. Sorry about the lack of communication this morning as well, typically summoners have more direct contact with champions in their first couple of matches, but I wanted to see how you'd act on your own accord." Avarin accepted the gift, walking in and putting them on the bed. He looked back at the summoner, still standing outside.

"You can come in if you want." The summoner shook his head.

"I've actually come to fetch you for another game." Avarin raised an eyebrow at this.

"Already? That's a little quick isn't it?" The summoner shrugged.

"Consider it a sign that the summoners like you." Avarin grabbed his bow from his bed and stepped out into the hall, closing his door behind him. They were about to keep walking before they were interrupted.

"Evening summoner, is Avarin taking part in tonight's match?"

"A pleasure as always Mistress Zyra, and yes he shall be, as are most of the Kumungu representatives." Zyra laughed.

"There are only three of us, four if you include Avarin, so that's not so great of a feat."

"Maokai and Malphite will be there as well, most summoners tend to treat them as representatives." Zyra scoffed.

"That mage hater won't be too happy if we're on the same team. Speaking of which, any idea of what side we're on?"

"Not sure on sides, but you will be mid lane with Maokai top, Malphite support and Avarin in the jungle, of course. I'm not entirely sure on the adc yet, it can be a surprise for both of us once we get there." Zyra nodded and began to make her way towards the summoning platforms, offering Avarin a small smile as she passed. The summoner just shook his head at the action, following the mage with Avarin close behind.

The second summoning was nowhere near as bad as the first, Avarin actually managing to keep his feet during the gut-wrenching transportation. He looked around, being greeted by the same temple from his morning game. He turned to the side, the same shopkeeper still standing there and looking at him expectantly.

"Been a while since anyone picked me for mid lane, this will be interesting." Zyra offered Avarin a small kiss on the cheek and a short good-luck before making her way out of the temple. Avarin followed the same process as the earlier game, buying items and what not, before following the giant rock-golem out towards bot-lane. Malphite was eerily silent, clearly not one for socialising. The two stopped in front of a small rocky area, waiting for the first monster to appear.

"Ha, two games in one day, lucky me." Tristana jumped out of the bushes, surprising the hunter.

"You ready for another win?"

"Are they always as easy as this morning?" Tristana shook her head.

"Nah, usually they are much tougher, but this one will be particularly bad for you."

"How so?"

"Well, if their jungler does everything right, you will barely have any monsters left to kill. She's probably one of the toughest oppositions you could face, kind of sucks you have to get her in your second game." The idea of being out hunted hardly seemed plausible in Avarin's eyes, but he'd seen enough strange stuff at the Institute to believe it possible, and if it was going to be the case, he'd need a different game plan.

"What if I was to try and just hunt her down?" Tristana laughed at Avarin's enthusiasm.

"Well, you are welcome to try." Their conversation was cut off by the appearance of a giant frog, the trio turning their attention to slaying the beast. Once defeated, Tristana and Malphite went their own way while Avarin headed deeper into his jungle. Things were going much the same as that morning, most of the monsters he faced were even exactly the same, that is until he crossed the mid lane to his other half of the jungle. He stepped into a small clearing, certain there should have been a monster there, but it was empty. Well, not entirely, a single tiny creature remained, staring up at him. It wasn't hard to figure out what had happened, somebody had been here recently. He knew that a good champion would have just continued farming or ganking, but as far as he was concerned he had been challenged. He crouched low, checking the floor for tracks. There weren't many, the huntress clearly quick on her feet, but they were present. Oddly enough, the tracks seemed to be those of a cat. Avarin thought back to Rengar, was it possible the huntress was one of his kind? Regardless, he had a set of tracks, and thus his hunt began.

It didn't take him long to reach the river, the tracks disappearing into the water. It wasn't too deep, easily low enough for him to walk through without too much trouble. The bigger problem however was that he had lost the tracks, meaning it would be significantly harder to find the huntress. He could see an entrance into the jungle on the opposite side of the river and, acting on instinct more than anything else, figured it was as good a guess as any as to where the huntress had gone. The surroundings were much the same as his own side, even some of the monsters seemed similar. There was a slight scuffling from a nearby bush, causing Avarin to instantly draw his bow. Out of the bush walked a little blue sentinel, making its way towards a small collection of rocks and standing there, waiting. Avarin thought it odd that a creature such as this would be hiding in the bush, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up in warning. He returned his eyes to the bush, slowing his breathing down as he readied his bow to fire a shot.

"Too slow." Avarin barely managed to sidestep the spear that came flying out from the bush, attempting to keep his bow raised and ready to fire back at the huntress. He recovered and fired the first shot, but missed entirely as the figure leapt at him, a large cat-like form landing on top of him. He pushed it off, rolling back and firing another couple of shots, all of which missed their mark. The cougar again slammed into him, sending him staggering back into the blue sentinel that, startled, began to fire uselessly at the pair. Avarin silenced it with an arrow before turning back to his quarry, only to be met with nothing but empty jungle. The tracks seemed to disappear into the bush, and Avarin was not about to make the mistake of walking into a spear. He fired an arrow into the bush, listening as it whizzed right through without hitting anything. A laugh rang out.

"Now you're mine." The cougar leapt at Avarin from behind, but the hunter was ready. Drawing his knife he swung up, catching the cougar's claws with his blade and throwing it to the side. He wasted no time in leaping on the figure, relying on his strength to restrain the cat. The latter growled and pushed back, catching Avarin in the shoulder with a sharp claw and causing him to recoil a little. The cougar turned and leapt back into the bush, but Avarin was not about to let it disappear this time. With a guttural cry, Avarin propelled himself into the bush, hoping to tackle the figure before it could retaliate. His plan worked a little too well and he went flying face first into the figure in the bush, the two tumbling out onto the jungle fall with no small number of grunts of pain. The huntress, surprised by the action, was too slow to recover, Avarin quickly drawing his weapon on her.

Yet as soon as Avarin saw the figure on the floor he could not release the arrow. Where he had expected to see the cougar he'd fought earlier instead lay what was quite clearly a human, long black hair tied back in a rough pony-tail, tan skin barely covered by the limited clothing the huntress wore. But nothing caught Avarin's attention more than the large green eyes, looking up at him in a combination of fear and anger at being bested. Avarin knew who this was immediately, even if she was yet to do so.

"Nidalee." Her eyes softened at her name, the voice eerily familiar in spite of the fact she did not recognise the hunter. Somewhere within her mind was an inkling of something long misplaced or intentionally forgotten. It wasn't profound enough to be called a memory, but it stood just beyond the threshold. She went to sit up, Avarin lowering his bow as she did. There was no point him even maintaining the pretence, there was no situation where he shot Nidalee. She reached out and touched his face, her own still wrought with confusion as she seemed to struggle with something internally. Words could not describe Avarin's pain in that moment as he realised the truth; she did not recognise him. He reached for her wrist, Nidalee attempting to retract her hand too late as Avarin forcefully placed her palm over his heart.

"Avarin." All colour seemed to drain from the huntresses face at the name, images and sounds rushing back to her. Her heart skipped a beat as she backed away, finally able to recognise the hunter. The last time she had seen him he'd been injured and chased down by Noxians. He was supposed to be dead. She kept backing away, Avarin slowly inching closer.

"Nidalee, is that really you?" The huntress had tears in her eyes, but she was not smiling, her mind too confused at the revelation to know how she was supposed to react. She took another step back and felt her head bang against the wall behind her. There would be no more running.

Avarin stopped where he was, not sure what to think of the distraught look upon Nidalee's face. He'd expected joy or sadness, even possibly anger at him not returning for her, but he had no idea what to think of how she was acting in that moment. Nidalee's instincts eventually got the better of her and she changed into her cougar form, preparing to jump the wall and run.

"No, wait!" Avarin took a step forward to try and stop her, barely managing to jump out of the way as a far larger figure leapt into his path.

"Aha! Now we get our fight!" Rengar drew his blades as Avarin watched the tip of Nidalee's tale disappear over the wall. He'd lost her again, and he was not happy about it. Rengar charged him, Avarin jumping to the side to avoid the wild slashes aiming at his throat. Avarin drew his bow and went to notch an arrow, but Rengar was far faster than most preys. The moment he raised his wooden bow Rengar swung down, the raw strength of the blow knocking the weapon from Avarin's hand. Now without his weapon, Avarin was a sitting duck against the experienced hunter, his eyes darting around the jungle for anything he could use to his advantage. Rengar threw a bola at him, Avarin barely managing to sidestep it, one of the heavy metal balls attached to it grazing his leg. There was a splash behind him as the bola went flying into the nearby river, and suddenly Avarin had a plan. Taking off at a sprint Avarin dashed through the trees and into the river, his feet making a large amount of noise as he trudged through the small layer of water. Rengar wasn't far behind him.

"Come on, only cowards run from the hunt, fight me!" Rengar leapt at him blades first, and Avarin put his idea into action. He wouldn't be able to run as fast in the river, but neither would Rengar. Avarin leapt to the side, expertly rolling to prevent any damage from the impact. Rengar landed face first in the water, spluttering and coughing out the muddy liquid.

"That's a dirty little trick Avarin, don't tell me that's how you fight." The hunter charged him, but the water slowed him down and Avarin had more than enough time to react. He drew his hunting knife and used it to deflect two heavy blows from the larger hunter. Rengar was incredibly strong, Avarin quickly realised there was no way he could beat him through brute force. Pulling his legs to his chest, Avarin rolled through Rengar's legs, offering him a strong kick in the rear as he recovered behind him. For the second time that fight, Rengar was face first in the water. He stood up, turning towards Avarin, spitting water out the side of his mouth.

"You're a real pest, you know that?" Avarin didn't waste time with a fancy remark, sprinting back into the jungle the fight had started in. He could hear Rengar behind him, but his voice was getting more distant as his wet fur weighed him down. Avarin dropped to his knees and picked up his bow from the same place he'd dropped it, quickly drawing an arrow. There was a noise in front of him and he looked up, Nidalee watching him in cougar form. He heard Rengar get closer and, deciding he valued saving his life more than chasing after Nidalee, turned at the last second and fired an arrow directly into the larger hunters chest. Rengar, to his credit, did not let it slow him down, managing to give Avarin a nasty slice down his arm as he felt the arrow puncture something important. He grunted, turning to the hunter with a smile.

"Well fought." And with that he collapsed, a booming voice announcing the first kill to everyone on the rift. Avarin looked behind him, not surprised at all to find Nidalee had disappeared. He slung his bow over his back, sparing a glance at Rengar's body in front of him. He had seemed nice enough, it hurt Avarin a little to know he had just slain him.

"You shouldn't hang around here, Nidalee and Rengar will be back." Avarin looked up to Maokai, the deep voice of his top laner a reassuring sound. He stood there with an arm outstretched.

"You'll need to return to the summoning platform, that wound will need healing." Avarin finally stood up, although he was still smaller than the large treant, and gratefully accepted the arm to lean on as they exited the jungle. Avarin's arm was causing him a lot of pain, the wound Rengar had given him going deeper than he'd anticipated. They stopped in the river, Maokai resting him against the rock wall.

"Have you recalled before?" Avarin managed to shake his head, a grimace crossing his face. Maokai didn't seem to have any response to his pain, turning his back to the injured hunter.

"You'll have to ask your summoner then." Avarin had absolutely no idea how to do that, but Maokai didn't hang around to explain it. Assuming the treant's seriousness probably reflected in his literacy, Avarin took his words literally.

"Summoner, are you there?"

"Of course Avarin, what can I do for you?" The hunter laughed, but instantly regretted it as a jolt of pain went through his body.

"Is that a fucking trick question? Get me out of here!" Avarin really hated to swear, but he was not in a particularly good mood. Instantly a blue light appeared around him and in a matter of seconds he found himself sitting at the summoning platform, his arm miraculously stitching itself back together. He apparently wasn't the only one who had taken the opportunity to recall, Zyra appearing next to him not long after, leaning over to inspect his arm.

"You're lucky you got out alive." Avarin heard her statement, but he was not in any mood to respond. He felt dizzy, as though he was going to be sick, but he knew that he was not unwell. All he could think of was Nidalee, the way she'd paled as though his presence terrified her, the way she ran from him without saying a word, and most profoundly the look in her eyes, devoid of any of the passion and animosity he had fallen in love with. Zyra may have said otherwise, but in that moment he felt anything but lucky.


	11. Chapter 11

**Expect a content splurge over the coming week, because I am finally back! Uni and personal life has been pretty busy, so I found most of my spare time playing League with friends (Veigar support OP).**

 **I felt these coming chapters were a lot more depressing than most of my writing, particularly when we got to the topic of Judgements (or at least my take on them).**

 **Fingers crossed everything should be back to normal now, sorry about the wait!**

 **BJ**

* * *

Chapter 11 - Changed

To say Avarin stormed off of the rift after the game would be similar to saying the Noxian invasion of Ionia was minor disagreement. Summoners and champions alike rushed to get out of the way of the hunter, fumes almost visibly rising from his face. He made his way towards the exit, determined to retreat to his room and destroy the first piece of furniture he saw. The idea of his wardrobe lying in splinters at the foot of his bed managed to calm him a little, but all that was lost as he watched Nidalee slink her way out of the summoning chamber, her cougar form disappearing quickly down the hall. It was going to take a lot more than one wardrobe to make Avarin feel better.

He was about to exit the room himself when an arm shot out, blocking off his path. His summoner stared at him accusingly, as if trying to see what had come over the hunter towards the end of the match. Their team had won, mostly thanks to Avarin's play, although none were prepared to congratulate him on it. He'd been ruthless, needlessly pursuing kills just for the sake of violence. They had seen similar champions before, Jax being the one that came to mind foremost, but none had expected the hunter to be that kind of person. They were afraid of him, of the look in his eyes as he hunted them down. All that is except Rengar, who being slower than most champions saw Avarin's attitude as nothing more than sport. The cat had congratulated him after the game, completely oblivious to the death-glare he received the whole time. The summoner was not so ignorant.

"What the hell was that?" Avarin tried to push past, but the summoner was a lot stronger than he let on. Staring deep into the summoner's eyes, he tried to appear as intimidating as possible, although the summoner seemed unfazed.

"We won, isn't that what matters?"

"What matters is peace, that is what we stand for. You can be as competitive as you want on the battlefield, but off of it the champions are your friends and family, and we will not have you scaring them." Avarin turned around, looking at some of the other champions. Most of them were sparing shy glances at him, talking under their breath. The most heartbreaking was the way Tristana looked at him, still managing a smile but it was evidently forced. He hadn't realised exactly how much of an impact his attitude had. He hung his head, rubbing his temple in an attempt to calm down.

"Sorry, it has been a rough day." The summoner sighed, lowering his arm and putting a hand on his shoulder.

"It isn't always easy, go get some rest, I'll see if I can get you a break for the next day or two." Avarin nodded respectfully, making his way out of the room before the summoner called back to him.

"And talk to Nidalee. I don't know what happened between you two, but I need it fixed." Avarin didn't respond to that, still fighting to keep himself calm. He travelled through the halls, being sure to take his time, checking out the halls as he went. He met some summoners and champions, many congratulating him on his first couple of wins while some of the others seemed to size him up, as though figuring out if they stood a chance in a fight. These champions annoyed Avarin, he wasn't here for the fighting, and he couldn't care less if they could take him or not, but he had the decency not to say so out loud and start more fights. He didn't want his summoner having to deal with an even bigger mess.

He finally arrived at his room, hand hovering over his doorknob. He knew he needed to rest, his body was tired and that wasn't helping his mood, but in that moment his mind was anywhere but on a decent sleep. Conceding, he walked down the hall, knocking abruptly on Nidalee's door. There were the obvious sounds of movement mixed with some sound Avarin could not make out, but the door was not opened. He tried again.

"Nidalee, please, we need to talk." Still no response, Avarin getting a little annoyed at this. He took a deep breath, trying to ignore the pain that was rising deep in his chest. He felt shattered, and he knew he wasn't going to get any better waiting for Nidalee to open the door. A plan beginning to form, he took a few steps further down the hall, knocking on the next door along. Unlike Nidalee, Zyra was more than willing to open the door, raising an eyebrow in surprise at Avarin's presence.

"Back so soon? You should be resting." Avarin scoffed.

"I couldn't rest if I wanted to, does every room along this side have a window?" Avarin pushed past Zyra, heading over to the far wall and opening the window that overlooked the gardens beyond. The plant mage rushed up, trying to slow Avarin down.

"Yes, they do, why does that matter?" In a heartbeat Avarin was out the window and on the very narrow ledge attached to it, eyes fixed forward to prevent himself looking down. He'd spent his fair share of time up trees in the Kumungu, so heights were no problem for him. The problem he had was that, unlike in the Kumungu, if he fell there would be no bushes and branches to help slow his fall. Zyra shrieked, about to reach out and pull him in before realising that could just as easily lead him to topple off the edge. She settled for standing a good distance back, worry wrought upon her face.

"What are you doing!? Get back inside right now." Avarin turned around and gave Zyra a quick smile before slowly shutting the window behind him. Now alone on the ledge, he had some time to think on his actions. Was it insanity? Yes, quite probably. Would Nidalee be glad he did it? Probably not, but he was not about to let that stop him. He had dreamt of this day for so long, and he was not about to let it play out the way it had. He took a small step along the ledge towards Nidalee's room, heart almost stopping as some of the stonework gave way beneath him. He instantly pulled his foot back before he lost his balance, standing deathly still so as not to cause the rest of it to collapse. Once convinced the risk had passed, he tried again, this time making sure the foothold was secure before taking the step. Inch by inch he made his way across until he was standing in front of the window to Nidalee's room. With deft fingers Avarin managed to loop his tips under the frame and pull up, smiling as it gave way. He'd hate to have been foiled by a locked window.

The inside of the room was very simple, not even a bed decorating the large room. Instead there was a mat, probably of Noxian craftsmanship, Avarin could recognise the plush design and crimson colour scheme. In the middle of the mat, curled like a frightened child, was Nidalee, the sound of whimpering meeting Avarin's ears. What was he supposed to do now? The idea of saying 'hi Nidalee, sorry for sneaking into your room, but I had to see you' sounded pathetic, and although true was not how he wanted to start the conversation. He took a step closer before she spoke.

"You shouldn't be here." Avarin had to resist the urge to hit himself. Even all those years ago Nidalee had been an exceptional huntress; she was guaranteed to hear him enter. At least the awkwardness he'd felt at trying to figure out what to say was gone.

"Well, you didn't open the door."

"Most people would have got the message by then." Avarin chuckled.

"Yeah, well, I'm not most people." Nidalee didn't smile at this, uncurling and standing up. She was quite a bit smaller than Avarin, the hunter fairly convinced she had barely grown since their last meeting. She slowly approached him, hand tentatively reaching out to touch his cheek. It hovered there for a moment before it actually made contact. Nidalee smiled, relishing in this moment, before the look disappeared and she pulled away, turning her back to him.

"This isn't possible, you're supposed to be dead." Now Avarin was confused.

"Dead? What made you think that?" He went forward and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, the huntress beginning to form tears.

"I watched the Noxians chase you, I saw you enter the red jungle, I even saw you fall! You… you were dead." Avarin tilted her head so she was looking into his eyes.

"Do I look dead to you?" Nidalee practically leapt forward, slamming their faces together in a passionate kiss. Avarin couldn't keep his feet, falling back onto the mat with a painful grunt. The sudden change in attitude was certainly welcome, but it didn't last long, Nidalee eventually pulling away and jumping back like a frightened cat, hands pulling at her hair.

"God, what have I done?" She now had tears pouring down her face, Avarin struggling to keep up with the frequent mood swings. Nidalee sat down on the mat, burying her tear-drenched face in her hands. Avarin slowly sat up, moving over to put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, calm down, you're all over the place." Nidalee pushed his hand away, averting her eyes from his.

"You wouldn't be so kind if you knew what I had done." Avarin laughed.

"Seriously? I've spent the past five years going about my everyday life and never once found you. I let you down, I'm sorry." To say this didn't have the desired response would be putting it lightly. Avarin was doing his best to figure out what was going through her head, and he guessed horribly wrong. Where he expected her to calm down a little she seemed to weep harder. She repeated to her words to herself, voice barely above a whisper.

"You wouldn't be so kind if you knew what I have done."

"Tell me then. I'm here now." Nidalee groaned at the statement, Avarin still not quite having figured out what to do to make things better.

"You don't want to know. You don't want to hear about the things I've done, you just want things to be like they were before." Nidalee stood up, wiping the last of her tears from her eyes. She walked over to her door, grasping the handle but seeming to have second thought before turning it. She took a deep breath.

"We can't live in the past anymore, and I certainly can't be the girl I used to be." She opened the door, looking at Avarin expectantly. The hunter was dumbfounded, where had he managed to stuff things up so horribly? He got to his feet and made his way to the door, mind anywhere but in the moment as he walked past Nidalee and into the hall. The huntress offered him a quick, unreadable look before closing the door, ending any discussion to be had.

* * *

Not what you expected? I did warn you, this story is anything but perfect. Avarin now found himself stuck at the Institute with the woman he loved so dearly but would not accept him, and the woman who loved him but he'd let go. Life was difficult to say the least. The couple of days after his talk with the huntress had been slow and painful, the summoner ensuring that he didn't even have matches to take up his time. The hunter partly regretted this decision, he would have liked the distraction, but he also knew he was in no state to be fighting. It wasn't until the third day that he finally had a visitor, something to break his gloomy routine. He opened the door, almost being trampled by a small purple blur that seemed to half-run half-fly into the room. He'd been unsure how to respond to this until the second figure entered his room, Tristana offering him a wide smile.

"I think you've been gloomy for long enough, you need to get out." The purple yordle stood up from where she'd landed, straightening her hat before looking him up and down.

"Wow Tristy, he's so blue!" Avarin just raised an eyebrow at the gunner, Tristana waving the comment off. The yordles both looked at him, Avarin getting progressively more uncomfortable with the situation. Tristana eventually groaned, mumbling to herself.

"Do I have to do everything myself." She walked over to his wardrobe, finding whatever looked to be the cleanest and throwing it at Avarin.

"Put those on, put your bow away, then come with us. We're going out." Avarin went into the bathroom to change, the yordles not making any attempt to give him privacy. Apparently nakedness wasn't such an important thing to them.

"What do you mean going out? Where are we going?"

"You, me and a couple of my friends are going shopping. And this isn't optional, you are coming even if I have to make Lulu turn you into a squirrel so I can stuff you in my bag. There is only one true cure for a broken heart, and that is meaningless clothes." This made Avarin stop, the hunter poking his head out from around the door and looking at the yordle.

"Who told you I have a broken heart?" Tristana huffed, turning her head away.

"I'm astonished you don't think I hear gossip." Avarin was getting more worried as this progressed.

"Tristana, what did you hear?" It was the little purple yordle, Lulu if Avarin remembered correctly, who answered.

"Zyra said you and Nida had a fight." Tristana nodded.

"Kind of been the biggest piece of gossip travelling amongst the champions." Avarin sighed, it was bad enough it'd happened at all, now half the Institute knew about it. He didn't even know his name was in circulation throughout the champion circles.

He kept silent for a little before emerging from his bathroom, fully changed, Lulu's eyes almost popping out of her head.

"Tristy, you never said he was cute!" Tristana herself was a little dumbstruck. The only times she had been with Avarin he'd been wearing typical hunting armaments, light leather armour with a quiver and knives; not a very attractive look. It turns out the summoner had a taste in fashion however, Avarin wearing not only stylish clothes, but ones of an unquestionable fine quality. Overall, it managed to make the hardened hunter from the Kumungu look almost presentable enough for the Demacian court. Tristana whistled.

"Well, he wasn't. You should try and dress normally more often." Avarin found himself blushing. He was a hunter, not some fancy prince. He'd seen enough of the upper class in the cities surrounding the Kumungu to know he didn't want to be associated with them, most too caught up in their wealth to notice the bigger issues. But something about the way the yordles looked at him, hints of affection tainting their otherwise friendly eyes, he found strangely desirable. He found himself smiling, looking through his belongings for some money. He typically didn't bother with carrying a pouch or wallet, but he always kept a stash of currency in his supplies. Tucking it into one of his pockets (an innovation he hadn't had the luxury of having for some years), he set out with the two yordles.

"Well, somebody's gotten dressed up." Avarin turned to look at Zyra, glad to hear her voice after his self-imposed seclusion. She had the same look the yordle's had, something lustful hidden behind her normal visage. Avarin liked this more and more.

"We're taking him shopping with Poppy, figured it could do him good." Zyra smiled at the yordle.

"I'm just impressed you got him out of his room. Trust a yordle's enthusiasm to stir even the most reclusive soul." With that she continued down the hall, leaving the group to their shopping. Tristana and Lulu lead the way mostly, making sure to pass through what Avarin later found out to be the Demacian quarters to pick up their other friend, Poppy. The new member had seemed cheerful enough, although she clearly didn't share the same carefree attitude of the other yordles. Much like Avarin she was happy to let the more energetic two lead the way while she hung behind, getting to know the new guy on the block.

"So you grew up in the Kumungu?" Avarin shrugged.

"Sort of. Technically I spent most of my childhood in Noxus, but the important years were all in the jungle." Poppy scowled.

"So you're a Noxian?" Avarin laughed at this, shaking his head.

"No chance in hell." Poppy's face completely shifted, now beaming up at the hunter. She seemed to hate Noxians almost as much as he did.

"So how did you meet Nidalee?" The mention of her name sent an unwelcome chill down Avarin's spine, but he knew she was only making conversation. He reluctantly answered.

"When I stumbled upon the Kumungu I was, well, pretty damn clueless as to what was actually there. She saved my life on that first day, and we became hunt partners." Poppy smiled, a caring expression.

"So you two go a long way back."

"Not long enough I'm afraid." Avarin couldn't bring himself to smile, the memory of the other night still etched in his mind. Poppy, noticing this, decided a different path of conversation.

"What about Zyra? How do you know her?" Avarin thought on this for a moment before chuckling to himself, Poppy raising an eyebrow.

"I just realised a common theme. Nidalee and I were attacked by Noxians one day and got separated, and she ultimately saved my life." Poppy chuckled.

"And this is why I never buy into that whole 'damsel in distress' stuff." The pair shared a warm laugh, Lulu and Tristana looking back in curiosity.

"Oi, what's so funny back there?"

"Nothing you'd know about Tristy." Poppy stood on her tiptoes to whisper in Avarin's ear.

"Practically every yordle at the Institute is hanging off of her, she never has trouble finding a date for anything." Avarin smiled, continuing to whisper since he gathered this was probably a sore spot for Tristana.

"Why is it she hasn't mentioned a boyfriend then?" Poppy chuckled.

"Because most of the yordle guys here are nuts. Just wait until you meet Heimerdinger!"

"I'm a what?" Poppy lost it, almost falling over laughing. Thankfully for her they arrived at the front of the Institute, Tristana and Lulu joining the pair so they could figure out where they wanted to go. Most of the conversation was completely lost to Avarin, the hunter having no clue what shops were even present, let alone where they could go to find them. The yordles seemed to eventually reach a consensus and soon Avarin was being dragged through the market place. They would stop occasionally, often when some of the vendor-food smelled too good to resist, or when there was a stall with clothes actually in yordle sizes. The experience was a little hectic, but Avarin felt himself relaxing. Soon the three were joking around and playing as they walked, any onlookers assuming the three had been lifelong friends. Nobody would have guessed that they were simply strangers, brought together by circumstance and motive, wanting to mend a broken heart. And for the most part, while he was out there laughing and shopping, Avarin was able to believe it had worked.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 - Preparation

The knock on the door served as Avarin's wake up call, the hunter completely losing track of the time. He'd become increasingly more comfortable since his expedition with the yordles, gradually finding his place amongst the Institute. This part was all good and swell, the hard part was that the moment he was available for matches again, he barely had a free moment. From what he could gather, almost all of the summoners had heard about his performance in his first two games and were anxious to give him a go. At first it had been mostly with the same summoner who'd inducted him, simply pitting him against a collection of different opponents, but eventually he found himself working with other summoners too. He quickly noticed that the skill of summoners varied greatly, some being able to help him make plays he'd never even have considered, while he found himself actively ignoring others simply because they evidently had no clue what they were doing. It was an eye-opening experience to say the least.

He'd practically collapsed onto his bed the night before, five games during the day leaving him completely and utterly exhausted. Thus, his wake-up call was not welcome. Being sure to throw on a top before opening the door (Heaven forbid Tristana see him topless), Avarin headed over and slowly opened the door, peaking through the crack to see who was there. He let out a sigh, it was _his_ summoner, which meant there was no negotiating for extra sleep.

"Do you just work all night or something?" The summoner smiled.

"It's a full time job Avarin, I like to get an early start on it." The hunter opened the door fully, the summoner entering his room. He instantly made his way to the kitchen, boiling some water.

"You want a coffee? You're going to need to be awake today." Avarin groaned, throwing himself face-first onto his bed.

"Please tell me it isn't another five game day." The summoner chuckled, muttering more to himself than to the hunter.

"Oh how you're going to wish it were." The summoner eventually emerged from the kitchen with two mugs of a strong-smelling black liquid. Avarin hadn't really had much coffee in his time, although he knew what it was. He accepted the drink and took a long sip, kind of enjoying the way the boiling liquid stung on the way down. It helped wake him up.

"Alright then, what's on the schedule for today?" The summoner put his drink down, expression suddenly serious. Avarin did the same, not liking where this was going.

"I'm here to prepare you for your judgement." The summoner looked at Avarin as though expecting a response, but none came. Avarin had only heard about the judgement, he had no idea what to expect, or why it was anything to fuss over.

"Alright then, how do we start?" The summoner raised an eyebrow at this.

"You seem particularly calm about all this." Avarin shrugged.

"Well, no point getting worked up about it." Avarin felt his shoulder gripped, the summoner staring deep into his eyes, making sure every word he spoke was understood clearly and carefully.

"There is a point 'getting worked up about it'. The judgement will test you to your very core, show you the things you fear most in this world and escalate them to ten times the size. It will show you your innermost desires, the images you thought nobody could possibly see, lust-fuelled imaginings and the like. Then they will rip them away from you to see how you react. I know people who have gone crazy just from attempting a judgement, people who were a lot more knowledgeable about the process than you are." The summoner sighed, realising he was probably terrifying the poor archer.

"It is a true test of whether or not you are worthy. If you can survive it, and the council sees your results as acceptable, you're in. Otherwise, you will be given a few days to leave the Institute. Is that clear?" Avarin just nodded, not entirely sure he trusted himself to speak at that moment.

"Good, so are you ready to begin?" The summoner shuffled forward, putting a warm palm on Avarin's cheek, inadvertently making him blush a little. The summoner just smiled, hints of genuine compassion showing along with something more that Avarin couldn't put his finger on. The summoner closed his eyes, and before he knew what was happening, Avarin's vision went black and the voice of the summoner echoed in his head.

"Good luck."

* * *

Needless to say that training for something such as the judgement was sure to be a gruelling task, but it had been so much worse than expected. He had been required to sit around, powerless, as the summoner casually trawled through his thoughts. He knew that the summoner was purposely ignoring anything too personal, they were some degree of friends after all, but the whole experience still sent chills down Avarin's spine. If the real judgement was to be worse than that, Avarin was genuinely worried. Thankfully he had a cure for such things, and that afternoon he found himself knocking on a now familiar door. It was opened shortly after by a blue furred yordle that Avarin did not recognise.

"Say, you're that new guy aren't you?" Avarin just nodded at the yordle's question, looking behind him for Tristana.

"Sorry, I must have the wrong room, I was looking for Trist." There was the sound of shuffling, something banging as it was knocked over, but soon the she-yordle appeared in the doorframe.

"Avarin! What's up?" Avarin smiled; her presence never ceased to relax him.

"I've spent the morning training for my judgement, I could really use a pick-me-up." The blue yordle whistled.

"Damn, unlucky mate. The judgement is the worst thing about the Institute, but once you pass it you're fine." He extended a hand.

"Name's Rumble, the most handsome yordle to ever grace these halls." Rumble gave a wink to Tristana who playfully hit him in the shoulder, although Avarin could have sworn she hit him harder than required. Her love life was more confusing than Avarin knew. Thinking he was probably interrupting something, he decided it was better he let the two be.

"Anyway, I see you are busy, I'll talk to you later." Realising Tristana would probably protest, he didn't wait around to hear her response. He took to aimlessly wandering the halls of the Institute, trying to familiarise himself with the facility and some of the more popular champions. He managed to get in a conversation with an archer by the name of Ashe about bow technique, the two sharing quite a few similarities in style. He was only informed afterwards that she was the queen of the Frejlord, which had been a little embarrassing, but at least she was nice. He'd run into Rengar along the way, the feline hunter insisting he come meet his friend Lee. The monk was accommodating enough, but Avarin couldn't shake the feeling that the blind man saw more than he let on. It was unsettling, but again he seemed nice enough. Avarin was beginning to feel less like an outcast and more like a member.

Exhausted after his long day, in spite of having done very little for his afternoon, Avarin began to make his way back to his room. He'd ended up out in the gardens, Lee heading in that direction for meditation. Avarin wasn't entirely partial to the Ionian way of life, but he couldn't deny the calming nature of the gardens. He found himself spending a few seconds longer than normal staring at the small ponds and flower patches. He found himself able to breath easier, as though some weight was being lifted. He stopped in front of a particularly familiar collection of flowers; the little red blooms reminding him innately of home. He wasn't sure why Zyra would ever need to plant her children in the gardens, she could literally grow them wherever and whenever she wanted, but he was glad for the opportunity to see them again. Amongst them was one odd flower, significantly more colourful and beautiful than the rest. Avarin chuckled to himself, Zyra had wasted no time putting her new bloom amongst her other children.

In an act that seemed very unlike himself, Avarin sat down and closed his eyes, allowing himself to take in everything around him. He'd never tried to meditate before, and he wasn't sure what he was supposed to be doing. He kept finding himself tilting his head towards the buzz of some indistinct insect, or scratching his leg where the grass rubbed up against him. He didn't feel like he was getting any calmer. The sound of rushing water was welcoming enough, but he wasn't sure how people could do this too often.

"You're doing it wrong. Stop slouching, put some effort into keeping yourself from fidgeting. You need a still body before you can have a still mind." Avarin went to turn and look at his new companion, but a hand on his head turned it back forward.

"Focus on one thing at a time." Trusting the newcomer for some reason, Avarin did as was instructed and corrected his composure, taking a deep breath as he consciously controlled his usually instinctual actions. It wasn't easy, and was so very foreign to the hunter who relied upon his instincts more than many others, but eventually he managed it. Once he was finally still he began to feel the things he couldn't before; the soft tickle of the breeze through his hair, the ever-present chatter in the distance from the Institute and its surrounds. He smiled, only to lose the focus he had so carefully built up. The figure laughed at this.

"There is a reason meditation seems so serious." He felt the figure brush past him as they took a seat. Everything was quiet once again, Avarin intent on finding that small moment of tranquillity. His mind however was on other things now, trying to guess what the stranger was like. He could hear their breathing, deep and meaningful but incredibly raspy. Come to think of it, his voice seemed to reflect a similar impediment. Was it possible the man was injured? He opened his eye a crack, not sure what to make of the figure before him. He was human, although Avarin used the term loosely. His skin was deathly pale, and he looked as though he hadn't slept in many weeks, horrible lines running down from his eyes. Avarin eventually realised these were not natural, instead dark markings, the likes of which seemed to trail down his body, eventually morphing into scale like growths covering his legs and forearms. Most heartbreaking of all was that the man seemed youthful, young and strong despite the horrible fate that seemed to have become him. His hair was amongst his most striking features, long white strands trailing neatly down his back, held down by a silver crown. There was something unsettling about the stranger, but Avarin could only feel pity. He couldn't help but feel that this man could have been beautiful once.

"It is rude to stare." Avarin wasn't particularly surprised that the man knew he was staring, his meditation technique unquestionably superior to the hunters.

"What happened to your body?" The man didn't move, his eyes narrowing slightly. The lack of body movements seemed a little unnatural to Avarin, most people would move more. It was then he noticed that the man's chest didn't rise and fall as much as a typical human. He was alive, that was certain, but was closer to death than most.

"It is rude to ask such a question so abruptly."

"It seems you think a lot of things are rude." The man grunted, Avarin figuring that was the closest he was going to get to a laugh. Avarin watched closely as the man stretched, rolling his wrist to give the hunter a good look at his forearm. On second glance it almost looked like fur, although Avarin was sure there was nothing soft about it. He reached out to touch it, only to have the man retract his arm.

"It is rude…" Avarin raised an eyebrow, the man stopping himself before he repeated the same thing once more.

"You shouldn't do that." Respecting the man's wishes, Avarin retracted his hand, sitting back a little.

"Who are you?"

"Varus, and you must be Avarin." The hunter nodded.

The pair sat there for a while longer, Avarin not entirely sure what he should say to Varus. He really wanted to ask about what had happened to him, his curse was something very few people ever got to see after all. He tried to meditate again, but his mind couldn't stop thinking of questions. He sighed, Varus opening his eyes from his meditation to look at the hunter.

"An ancient Ionian curse, that's what happened to my body." The answer caught Avarin a little of guard, but he quickly recovered, his next question already on the tip of his tongue.

"How did you get it?"

"I was charged with keeping it from the world during the Noxian invasion, which probably tells you more than you need to know already. Nothing went according to plan during that war." Avarin's knowledge of the Ionain invasion was limited, but he knew Noxian ways well enough to realise any battle would have been a blood bath. Such ruthlessness would inevitably have casualties, and not always in the form of deaths.

"The Noxians did that to you?" Varus shook his head, eyes darkening.

"No, I did." This got Avarin's attention, the hunter completely clueless as to why anybody would ever do such a thing to themselves.

"Why?"

"Have you ever been in love Avarin?" An image of Nidalee came to mind, one he quickly shook off before his mind fell instead to Zyra. He wasn't sure where he stood with either of them, but surely he loved at least one of them once.

"Yeah, I have." Varus smiled at this, but the expression was anything but happy.

"You're lucky, it is beyond a doubt the greatest thing one could ever hope to experience. I can still remember the look on my son's face every time I returned home from my duties. Warm and comforting, it could rival the sun in my eyes." Varus clenched his fists, a scowl on his face.

"I lost everything when the Noxians attacked, my wife, my children, my very will to live. I chose the fate of Runeterra over the fate of my family, and while I know I did what was right, it still hurts every single day." Varus extended his hand, looking at it forlornly.

"The curse, nay, corruption was my chance at vengeance, vengeance I certainly deserved." Avarin stretched his back until it cracked, not use to having to sit so still for so long. Varus' story didn't hold much promise in Avarin's eyes. Taking on a dark corruption seemed like a steep price to pay for falling in love.

"You don't make love sound that great."

"Then you misunderstand. Love is great, but not something to enter into lightly. With questions of the heart, certainty is the law, and the guilty will always know agony." Avarin raised an eyebrow at the odd statement.

"That Ionian?" Varus sighed.

"My sense of humour is bad enough without people missing the references."

The unlikely pair a couple more hours in amiable conversation, discussing numerous topics. They discussed bow technique, Ionian culture, the beauty of flowers and many other benign topics, but it was enough to bring a half-smile even to Varus' lips. Their conversation eventually fell to the Institute itself.

"It must have been hard to have to join the Institute." Varus looked at Avarin, confused at the statement.

"What would make you say that?"

"Well, you were given your chance at vengeance, but now you are limited by the rules of the Institute. I recognise some of the Noxian figureheads here, surely many of them would have been on your list of people to target, and now you can't." Varus laughed at this, the sound catching Avarin completely off guard.

"There are no enemies amongst the Institute Avarin."

"So you forgave them? Just like that?" Varus stood up, offering a hand to help the hunter to his feet. The pair began to walk back towards the Institute's halls, Varus talking as they walked.

"Forgiveness isn't something I give out lightly. You have to earn it, show that you are more than a killer, and I believe every person at this Institute has shown that." Varus stopped, pointing towards a large cow-like creature meandering through the garden, picking and sniffing some of the flowers.

"Alistar over there lost most of his kind to Noxians, was forced to fight in an illegal fighting ring, yet the other day I saw him save Draven's life numerous times, the pair walking off like long-lost friends." Varus turned Avarin's head another way, this time pointing out two figures resting silently by a pool, both deep in meditation.

"Zed and Shen were training partners once, then Zed betrayed their order and everything they held dear. In the world they lived in, even death would not be a just punishment, yet here they rest now as close as any brothers I have seen in my life." The pair took a few more paces forward before Varus abruptly stopped, eyes catching the sight of somebody in the distance. Avarin followed his gaze, noticing the silver-haired warrior swinging her sword in beautiful arcs, her style seeming more like a dance than a martial technique.

"Riven there was a Noxian general during the invasion of Ionia. She ordered the death of thousands of innocents, only to eventually be betrayed by Zaun, one of Noxus' allies, and watch as all of her men quite literally melted before her eyes. The chemical warfare was a wakeup call for Valoran, and many say it was one of the main reasons the Institute began to form. She still hasn't forgiven herself, but she has been forgiven. I can't remember how many times she has come to my aid in battle, putting her own life on the line to save mine." Varus smiled to himself, tilting his head as though in shame.

"I hunted her for so long, blaming her for so many of my troubles, but now? Now I would gladly put myself on the line for her." Avarin was in awe. He'd talked with quite a few people in the Institute, he knew they were all close, but this was something else. This was peace keeping on an unforeseeable level.

"All because you fight together?"

"Fight together, live together, die together. How would you feel if the very essence of your humanity rested in the arms of another person? I've had to wash the blood of champions off my hands in the river, often multiple times in a game, and I know they have had to do the same for my blood. But I also know that I've had to do it a lot less than I would have if there weren't fellow champions there to save me. Even off the rift, we spend every waking hour with each other, obviously people return to their homes on occasion but mostly we are all here. There is a bond between us stronger than any friendship or family." Avarin shook his head.

"It all just seems very surreal." Varus nodded.

"It is at first, but it is fundamental to what happens here. That is what they will test in your judgement, whether or not you can adapt to this style of life; kill your friends one minute, then love your enemies another. It sounds horrible and brutish, and sometimes it can be. Many consecutive matches can take its toll, but the summoners are pretty good at regulating such things. But when all things are said and done, it works, and the connections you make here will last through every death we have, every friend we harm. You can't measure it in lifetimes, such bonds are eternal." Avarin was speechless, and Varus seemed to respect that, the pair continuing on in silence for some time. They eventually reached the Kumungu quarters, Avarin stopping outside his room.

"What did you face in your judgement?" Varus frowned, closing his eyes as though trying to forget something.

"You shouldn't ask that around here. The judgement leaves scars, many which people try to forget."

"Scars is one word for it, I prefer to think of it as theft. They steal something from you, something you can never quite reclaim." Zyra walked towards the pair, offering a smile to Avarin as she stopped with the duo, continuing with her words.

"Theft is probably misleading actually, you don't miss it once it's gone necessarily, but you know something is missing. Innocence perhaps? I can't quite put my finger on it." Zyra turned to Varus and ran a hand slowly down his cheek, the archer blushing a little at the seductive contact.

"Rumour was Varus here got to have some private time with Riven in his judgement, which doesn't sound that torturous to me." Varus grabbed her wrist, glaring down the plant mage.

"Rumour was all that was, but either way, I was hell bent on revenge, such a situation would have hurt me beyond measure back then." Varus may have denied it, but Avarin wasn't naïve enough to believe that it was only rumour. Most rumours found their origins in some form of truth anyway.

"Well, my judgement was a little darker. I can still remember the stench of burning wood, the entire jungle burning down to nothing, a thousand screams as every child I had went up in smoke. I sought refuge within myself, looking for a source of hope as my world came crashing down around me. I looked on all the good things in life, all the little moments I'd been truly happy. I even thought of you, and that hope that I'd get to see you again one day. It had all felt so real, as though all the horrible visions were true. It wasn't until I woke up to the council of summoners deliberating on my performance that I realised it was all a dream, a dark illusion to test my worth. I also remembered all the other equally mortifying visions they'd put me through before it. I still shiver at some of the memories. I was accepted with ease, something like nine votes to two." Varus grunted, nodding his head in admiration.

"I only had seven to four, my thirst for vengeance concerned a few of the summoners." Varus extended a hand to Avarin.

"It was a pleasure to get to know you, I do hope we can see each other around." Avarin accepted the gesture, shaking it weakly. He managed out a smile, but it was so obviously forced that Varus gave a sad expression to Zyra, the plant mage urging Avarin into his room. Once inside they sat on his bed, Avarin finally losing his strength and falling back with is eyes closed.

"This judgement just continues to sound worse and worse." Zyra sighed, laying back next to him.

"Yeah, it s probably the hardest thing you'll ever have to do at the Institute, but once it's done you will feel better for it. Facing your fears and desires like that, it changes you, it makes you more self-aware, and I don't really know a champion who's said that's a bad thing." Avarin was silent for a little, allowing himself to calm down and relax. He started to listen to Zyra's breathing, the soft sound that filled him with welcoming warmth. He rolled over, running a hand over her bare shoulders. Zyra's eyes slowly moved to meet his.

"They're going to make me hurt you, aren't they?" Zyra was silent for a moment before nodding, knowing words wouldn't do that realisation any justice. Avarin wasn't done however.

"And Nidalee too? And the Kumungu? What about Trist, Poppy, Varus, Rengar; am I supposed to show that I can heartlessly kill them too?" Avarin was on the verge of tears, Zyra moving over and pulling his head into her chest, the hunter finally giving in and weeping. She let him cry, knowing the tears were necessary. She herself had cried, both before and after her judgement. She'd had nobody to turn to then, she didn't have friends when she first appeared. She'd wanted to befriend Maokai but quickly realised things were odd between them, mostly because of his distrust of mages. Eventually she'd made friends, but it was too late to help with her recovery. She could look back on the judgement now as a good thing, but at the time it was much harder to acknowledge that. Avarin had friends however, and Zyra was going to make sure he didn't go through what she did.

"It's not heartless Avarin, don't you see that? The fact that you are weeping shows that you care, more than most champions I've seen might I add. You may have to kill some people; you may have to make love to others. Some of the memories are really happy; they do want to see that too. It's just that it's the dark memories that stick, the ones that you'll remember all your life. But no matter what happens, it is never heartless. You weep because you care about your friends, you fight because you care about peace, and the only reason you came here at all was because you care about your home. I know you, nothing you ever do could possibly be heartless." Avarin stopped weeping, looking up at the mage. In that moment she seemed so much wiser than he'd ever expected, and he looked at her with admiration of the like he hadn't felt before. They lay there a while longer, enjoying each other's embrace. Eventually Zyra got up to leave, but Avarin stopped her with a grasp of her wrist.

"Please, stay with me." And so she did, the pair drifting off to a comfortable sleep in each other's embrace, the ghost of a kiss brushing over Zyra's forehead as they did so.

* * *

 **So, this chapter was mostly about the judgement process, and obviously Avarin's judgement will be coming up soon. Why am I mentioning this? Well, I am aware that my take on the judgement is, well, my own. Lots of people out there I'm sure will disagree with how I am approaching it, I just hope the way I approached it in this chapter at least clarifies what I think the judgement process will be like. Also just as a warning, I have set the next couple of chapters up to be very graphic, especially his judgement. Just a fore-warning, this is M rated after all.**

 **I was also considering the idea of doing a small series of one shots based around champion's judgements. These would obviously range from smut to action to angst, so a diverse range. This is just an idea at the moment, I really want to focus on this and Heartseekers for a little longer before I start focussing on other pieces (Also why Of Gods and Yordles hasn't been updated in forever).**

 **Until next time,**

 **BJ**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hi all,**

 **Another chapter of Heart of the Jungle here for you. Next chapter will be the big one... Judgement hype!**

 **Until then, enjoy and please RFF**

* * *

Chapter 13 - Guilt

"You're poke isn't too bad you know, we should play together more often." Avarin looked over at his now closest friend, Varus, offering the archer a playful smirk.

"You sure? They may begin to like me more than you." Varus pushed past him, making his way out of the room.

"I wouldn't bet on it, I'm still better at range." Avarin scoffed, following his friend.

"If you say so, although I know a few summoners who'd disagree." The pair made their way through the halls towards the Ionian quarters. Originally they'd been meeting at the Kumungu rooms, but Varus had felt a little uncomfortable with how quiet it was. They'd started meeting at different places of the Institute, which Avarin was quite content with as it gave him the opportunity to discover some new areas. The Ionian quarters were by far his favourite though, constantly abuzz with activity but never crowded. There were many open spaces and courtyards, often containing champions and summoners deep in meditation. It was tranquil yet busy, and Avarin loved it. Varus too seemed more comfortable in the area, getting many greetings from summoners as he walked the halls. Today was no different, Avarin wandering off ahead as Varus got lost in conversation with a summoner about a potential high-profile game.

"Careful, you spend much more time around here and people will start to think your Ionian." Avarin was still confused as to how Lee always knew he was nearby, the monk's attentiveness putting Avarin's hunting prowess to shame. He didn't mind though, the monk had proven to be a welcome friend, particularly for his advice around the jungle and ganking. It was nice to have a coach with experience; his summoner could only do so much.

"How've you been Lee? Anything new?" The monk shrugged, 'staring' off into the middle distance.

"Not particularly, had a rather interesting game earlier though." Avarin followed the monk's line of sight, trying to see if he could pick out what he was 'looking' at, being sure to continue the conversation so as not to get caught by the monk.

"Oh really? How so?" Lee reached over and gripped Avarin's cheeks, turning his face so he was looking down the hall. Talking with a group of dignitaries was Karma and Irelia, the pair clearly at the end of negotiations. Avarin blushed; he'd been caught.

"The enemy jungle just left the game after twenty minutes forcing them to surrender. You get it during practice matches, but this was a proper game, so I'm not sure what to make of it. No doubt there will be ramifications for Nidalee, I just hope she's alright." Being caught was quickly put behind him, Avarin looking across at the monk.

"Nidalee?" The monk nodded and looked as though he were about to continue before the pair were interrupted by Varus, finally having escaped the summoner.

"Lee, pleasure as always. What's going on?"

"We were just talking about my game earlier, jungle just left at twenty minutes for no apparent reason."

"Odd, yours or theirs?"

"Theirs, so I don't know the full…"

"Sorry, I've got to go." Lee looked at Varus who just shrugged, both offering Avarin a quick 'until the rift' before the hunter was off. Life had been busy recently between matches and training for the judgement. His spare time was spent with Varus, Tristana or Zyra, the latter taking up considerably more time than the others. Since the night they'd spent together they were practically inseparable, both wanting to spend as much time with the other as they physically could. Sadly Zyra had matches most of the day, so Avarin had been left to himself. Amidst all of this he'd hardly had time to think of Nidalee, a fact he'd been secretly glad of. He loved spending time with Zyra, but there were always moments when he'd have a fleeting image of Nidalee. He knew Zyra noticed this too, but neither of them would mention it. Neither of them wanted to believe they were there. Avarin wanted to believe he'd eventually forget about Nidalee altogether, but it seemed fate had different plans.

The Kumungu quarters were quiet this time of day, not even Malphite or Maokai around for some light conversation. Rengar was undoubtedly out hunting or in a match, those two things seeming to be the epitome of his life. No, it was just the hunter and, Avarin assumed, the huntress. He walked past his room and up the hall, stopping out the front of the floral-adorned door he hadn't knocked on in some time. Steeling himself he knocked quickly and sharply, holding his breath in anticipation of the incoming voice.

"I've already talked it through with the summoners, I have nothing to say to you, just leave me alone!" Avarin was silent for a long time, unsure what to say to that. Part of him told him he should have just left then, but Avarin was always more stubborn than rational.

"Nidalee, open the door." Avarin wasn't able to hear anything through the door, a fact that caused him a little frustration. He just wanted to make sure she was alright. He let his head fall forward, banging lightly on the wooden door.

"Dammit Nidalee, I'm not climbing through any windows this time. Please, just let me in." His voice was barely above a whisper, his words more to himself than anyone else.

"Avarin, please, you can't help me." Her voice came from just the other side of the door. Avarin found his hand moving of its own accord, reaching up and resting on the door, as though he could reach through and touch her. He heard the lightest of a thud from the other side, and he couldn't help but imagine Nidalee doing the same thing. He frowned, unsure how to continue. He was finally feeling as though everything was on track with Zyra, was he ready to face Nidalee and jeopardise that? He sighed, loud enough that he knew she'd hear on the other side. He turned his back to the door and slid down it, hitting the floor with a soft bump. He ran his hand through his hair, considering his next words wisely.

"You need to talk to me Nidalee, I can't go on like this. We were thick as thieves once, and now I feel like you can't bare to look at me." The sound of shuffling and another thump, Nidalee clearly sliding down the door on her side so they were roughly at the same level.

"Did you ever hear the story of the Frejlordian farmer?" Avarin's ears perked at this, Nidalee continuing.

"A kind man, kinder than any other, rejects a woman offering her love. She offered him wealth and fame, and he was still adamant he could not love her. Yet when she gets him killed, all the man can say is that he is happy he could help her, that it was what he wanted all along." There was an obvious sob, Avarin reaching behind him as though to comfort Nidalee before being again obstructed by the door.

"Is that love?" Avarin thought on this for a moment, trying to remember the story he had told all those years ago. He thought for a moment, unsure of the answer himself.

"It was a story Nidalee, love is never that simple."

"Why not? Why can't people just live happy lives with whoever they want?" Avarin laughed to himself, not a particularly joyful sound but thick with sarcasm.

"You really believe that, after everything you've done?" This shut Nidalee up, the huntress doing little more than sobbing. Avarin didn't say anything, just let her cry until she was ready to talk. She took a long, steadying breath, finally managing to form words.

"Do you love them?" Avarin knew whom she was talking about, but he still couldn't resist checking.

"Who?" There was a slight thunk and Avarin was too slow to react as he fell backwards, hitting his head on the floor and receiving a not-too-flattering view of Nidalee standing above him. Her eyes were red with tears, and she was holding the door like she was prepared to tear it off the hinges. Avarin was too petrified to move, and Nidalee didn't seem to mind the vulnerable view she was offering.

"Zyra, Tristana, your damn summoner! All those people you spend all your time with, do you love them? Do they make you feel safe, secure? Do they give you a home, a purpose when everything is lost? Do they keep you warm at night, shelter you from the rain, teach you what it really is to be human?" She leant down and pulled Avarin up by his shirt, tears streaming down her cheeks as she held the hunter at eye level.

"Do you love them?" Avarin began to feel threatened, and his fighting instincts began to take over. He moved his arms up in front of his face and pushed outwards, breaking Nidalee's grasp. The huntress, a little taken aback by the aggressive action, stumbled back a few steps before losing her footing and falling backwards, arms flailing wildly by her side. She closed her eyes expecting to hit the floor, but she never did. Instead she felt her shoulders jolt as something wrapped around them, stopping the sudden collapse. She opened her eyes, instantly regretting it. Right in front of her face were the pair of large, chocolate eyes she couldn't get out of her head. She could remember the first time she saw them; youthful and pure, they made Avarin look ten years younger than he was. She'd watched them change, darken, open themselves to her world. She remembered that last look she'd had at them that day many years ago. They hadn't changed a bit, holding the same odd combination of purity and passion.

The fact of the matter was that, as far as she was concerned, she had betrayed him. She was a creature of the primal ways, and dwelling upon lost lovers was not a part of her beliefs. This was particularly true as a cougar; her animal instincts had to be respected as much as her human ones. She could barely remember most of the mates she'd had, but she could always remember waking up months later in human form, knowing out there somewhere was some meaningless partner who'd claimed her love without her desiring it. But this belief slowly became murkier; you can justify such a thing once, but when it happens every season you begin to question how against your desires it is. Was it possible she'd actually wanted all of that? It seemed an easier truth to swallow than years of unwanted encounters. Through some strange whim of fate during this time she also found her way into the Institute, were she faced a whole different sort of demon. It was of no secret to her how many of the male champions would let their eyes wander over her from a distance, not daring to let themselves get caught. The thought made Nidalee furious; if they knew anything about her or who she was they wouldn't be so naïve as to think she wouldn't notice. Between her guilt at her cougar half and her frustration at the lustful champions, the loving image she held of Avarin dissolved into a utopic dream, a desire which wasn't just ideal, but simply impossible.

Then he'd arrived at the Institute. She honestly believed him to be dead, so when the hunter first appeared she wasn't sure what to make of him. She'd seen the confrontation in the market place, watching the strong man lift the summoner into the air like he weighed little more than feather. She'd been intrigued; he hadn't seemed the aggressive type from a distance. Typically archers were calm and composed, but not him. What really intrigued her about him was when she heard he'd represent the Kumungu; something not many people did these days. She'd been tempted to meet him earlier, but she feared what she would find. Was it such a stretch to believe he'd be like every other male champion before him, taking one look and wanting nothing more than to take her for himself? She bid her time, knowing they'd meet on the rift eventually. How she wished now she'd taken the proactive approach.

Avarin just held her. It was all he'd wanted to do in some years, but now that he could it didn't give him half as much fulfilment as he'd expected. Nidalee put an arm around his neck and used it to stabilise herself as she stood up, turning away quickly and breaking eye contact. She walked over to her mat and sat down, pulling her knees to her chest and holding onto them, making her look so fragile. Avarin closed the door behind him, not wanting any interruptions.

"If I said I did love them, my summoner, Trist… Zyra, what difference would it make?" Nidalee pulled her knees in tighter.

"I need you to love them. I need you to be flawed, even in some tiny insignificant way. I just can't."

"You think that'll make things easier? You want me to be the bad guy so you can justify hating me?" Nidalee half scream half cried into the small room, Avarin a little taken aback by how much distress was in the sound.

"I could never hate you, don't you see that? You're so bloody perfect; you have the looks, the heart, the overwhelming sense of righteousness. You have everything anybody could ever want, and I betrayed you. Do you know how badly that kind of guilt tears you apart?" Avarin slowly walked towards Nidalee, taking a seat in front of her, practically forcing her to choose between talking into her knees or looking at him. Nidalee chose the easier option.

"I just need you to not be perfect. I need you to leave me like I left you, hurt me like I hurt you. I need this Avarin." Avarin reached over and forcibly pulled Nidalee's hands off her knees, slowly making the huntress look up at him.

"You are speaking like a madwoman Nidalee. Whatever happened to the brave young girl I used to know, strong willed in her ways and never one to feel anything even remotely like guilt? The Nidalee I knew would accept what she'd done and fight for what she wanted anyway." Nidalee stood to get up.

"She grew up." Avarin grabbed her wrist, forcing her back down and onto the mat.

"What a load of tripe. That isn't growing up, that's giving in." Nidalee let herself be rough-handled; maybe if he physically hurt her it would be enough to convince her to stop loving him. But behind his actions was an unmistakable kindness towards her, so she had her doubts.

"Then I guess I gave in. I let myself be taken away by the darkness in this world. What difference does it make? I'm not that girl anymore." Avarin's face turned to one of deep sympathy, his anger unable to stand up to the sadness in the huntresses features. He conceded, giving Nidalee the answer she wanted.

"I do love Zyra, and Tristana, and every other damn soul at this Institute. They are my family, brothers and sisters, elders and teachers, and even lovers." He spoke the last word slowly, letting it sink in.

"If you want that to hurt then I hope it does, but it could never hurt as much as you hurt me. I couldn't care less what you've done in your past, all I care about is that when I came back you acted like I meant nothing. Is that really how you see me now?"

"Of course not! That's how you should see me. You deserve better." Avarin laughed at this, throwing his hands into the air.

"I don't want better, I want you!" This resulted in a very long, very brooding silence. Nidalee felt her breath catch in her throat; some old part of her making her heart beat erratically in her chest. Avarin's lips felt dry and coarse, realisation dawning at what he'd just said. It was the truth behind it all, the reason he couldn't shake off the guilt when with Zyra. He wanted Nidalee, nobody else.

"I want you." Nidalee gradually came around to rest next to him, slowly and cautiously reaching out to put her hand on Avarin's. When he didn't move away from the contact, she wrapped her fingers in his, a little surprised at how cold his hands were.

"Earlier today I was heading past the Noxian quarters with Varus. Draven was walking by, strutting like he owned the place. I couldn't resist just putting my foot out a little, just enough to clip the underside of his boot. You should have seen his face as he hit the ground." Nidalee frowned at the story, Avarin looking to his side and taking in the expression. He just shrugged.

"Well, you didn't want me to be perfect, thought it could help." Nidalee couldn't help but laugh, the first genuine smile Avarin had seen her show in over five years lighting up the room. He smiled back, gently squeezing her fingers.

"That's more like the Nidalee I knew." Nidalee felt a blush running up to her cheeks, a fact she failed to hide. Avarin leant over and gently stroked her cheek before standing up, making his way to the door. Nidalee scrambled to her feet, prepared to stop him before Avarin shook his head.

"I have training with my summoner." Nidalee nodded in understanding, sitting back down and watching as Avarin began to leave. Just as he was about to close the door she called after him.

"Do you mean it? You really think you can love me again?" Avarin was silent for a moment.

"I never stopped." He closed the door, not waiting for another response.

He turned to leave before literally bumping into something. He hadn't expected the halls to be any busier so he hadn't noticed Zyra standing there, arms crossed and looking at him.

"So you finally spoke to her?" Avarin felt guilty, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. How much of their talk had Zyra heard? They hadn't exactly been keeping their voices down.

"Zyra, I'm so sorry." She smiled and shook her head, brushing past Avarin towards her door.

"Don't be, we both knew it was going to happen eventually." She unlocked her door, sighing with her hand on the doorknob. Part of her felt that the moment she stepped inside and closed the door that would be the end, Avarin would be gone. Avarin seemed to notice this too, not moving towards his training in spite of running a little behind time already. Neither knew what to say, if they even wanted to say anything.

"How were your matches?" He sounded so awkward, but it at least got a response from the mage.

"Terrible honestly. Lost two in under thirty minutes, one because our jungle just left." The story sounded too familiar for Avarin to drop it.

"Why'd they leave?"

"They refused to gank for me so I waited for them at fountain and had a little chat." Zyra's voice had slowly become quieter and quieter, barely above a whisper as she finished her sentence. She looked on the verge of tears, something very atypical for the mage.

"What did you say?" She breathed a shaky sigh, turning the doorknob in her hand.

"I told her you'll never stop loving her, no matter what either of us do." Zyra opened the door and stepped inside, closing it until there was barely a crack left.

"Good luck tomorrow Avarin." Then there was a click as the door closed, Avarin now truly alone in the small hall. He was angry with himself mostly. Zyra had never been anything but kind to him. She'd offered him shelter amongst her family, she'd saved his life from the Noxians. And what had he done in return? When she asked for love he turned her away. When he asked for love he threw it in her face. Yet, in spite of everything, ultimately him and Nidalee talking again came back to Zyra. The mage had talents Avarin could not begin to fathom, an innate link to his life that he couldn't shake. She was always there for him, no matter how poorly Avarin treated her. He loved Nidalee, he'd known that right from the moment she'd saved his life, but he wasn't sure where he stood with Zyra. If they were friends, she was beyond anything Avarin could have ever asked for.

Avarin spared a moment to rub his face before returning to his tasks. Everything had changed in such a short space of time, and Avarin's head was left spinning. He forced himself through it though; there were more important issues to attend to. His summoner was undoubtedly waiting for him now, desperate to get in one last session before his big day. Avarin felt a chill run down his spine; today his future may have changed, but tomorrow it would be decided. The time for his judgement had come.


	14. Chapter 14

**University exams are over, so here is a chapter to celebrate. Huzzah!**

* * *

Chapter 14 - Judgement

"Nervous?" Zyra leant over and playfully gave Avarin's summoner a punch in the shoulder.

"Of course he's bloody nervous!" The three were sitting patiently out the front of a pair of large, ornate wooden doors waiting for, well, they weren't entirely sure what. Avarin had been woken up by his summoner at the crack of dawn, telling him to get ready. Instruction had been for him to arrive at the Institute as early as possible, and that they'd get to him as soon as their agenda allowed it. Avarin didn't know much about the council of summoners, but he was beginning to realise their agendas were extensive. Zyra had decided to come by after breakfast in the off chance they were still waiting, and she'd now been with them for more than an hour. The period of absolute silence wasn't helping the hutner's nerves, images of potential situations flashing before his mind. Who would he be forced to confront, hurt, kill? He was glad for Zyra's presence; it helped to keep him grounded in the present.

There was a loud creaking as the doors slowly opened, a small woman in a flowing purple robe walking out and bowing low to the trio.

"The summoner's will see you now." Avarin stood, accepting a good luck from his summoner and a shy hug from Zyra. They hadn't dared bring up the evening before; it was hardly the biggest priority in that moment.

"Head to the summoning chambers when you're done, a few of us have a surprise for you." Avarin saw what she was trying to do, make him take his mind of the judgement. It worked for a little, Avarin content to know his friends would be waiting. The female summoner coughed impatiently, Avarin finally saying his goodbyes before heading into the chamber.

Avarin was entirely sure what he had been expecting. He expected more than a few old men in robes sitting around a table, but the setup he was presented with was something he couldn't help but gawk at. The room was circular in shape, a large open space occupying the majority of the room. Surrounding the area was a series of pedestals, each occupied by an individual summoner. The summoners themselves were some sight, most wearing robes of colours and designs that were so intricate and exotic that they would cause the richest houses in Demacia to grow envious. They weren't all old either, some Avarin noticing were younger than himself even. Yet there was one summoner who stood out above all the rest, an elderly gentleman with robes of a shimmering, rich gold. He had a long beard which hung down by his belly. This was the kind of figure Avarin had expected to see amongst the council, but seeing him in person still filled him with an overwhelming sense of awe. The summoner to his left, a middle aged gentlemen in black and crimson robes, rose to his feet, raising his voice so the whole council could hear.

"I present Avarin of the Kumungu, here to face his judgement to become a champion. We are all familiar with the process I trust, so whenever you see fit brother." One of the other summoners nodded his head, closing his eyes as the faintest blue shimmer began to overcome his body. Avarin barely had time to admire the sight though before he felt himself falling, his memories fading as he found himself entering his first vision. His judgement had begun.

* * *

His eyes shot open, instantly taking in the deep oak décor and crimson red curtains of the room. He was home, back in the mansion of a house he'd been raised in. It had been years, no months since Avarin had left for, well he couldn't remember. He frowned I confusion. He knew he'd been somewhere, that he had left Noxus, but he couldn't remember where he'd gone or how long he'd been there. He remembered the layout of the house perfectly, exiting the room into a long hall that took him past the front door and towards a larger living area. He could hear whistling flowing through the doorway, the sound bringing back a cacophony of memories. His father had loved to whistle, he'd even become known for it during his service in the military. Some say he whistled throughout the entire battle for Kalamanda, although such rumours were scoffed at by his father. Never denied however.

Avarin stepped through the doorway, standing at attention the moment he was through the door. He wasn't entirely sure why he'd resorted to using the old military greeting now, but it seemed appropriate. It took his father a while to look in his direction, the whistling stopping the moment he saw his son. Avarin may not have been sure how long he'd been gone, but it was clearly long enough to be noticed.

"I made us some tea dear, I hope you don't…" Avarin's mother rounded the corner on the far side of the room carrying a tray with a steaming pot and some small cups, a tray she proceeded to drop upon entering the room.

"Avarin, is that really…" His father put his hand up, silencing his mother. The war veteran stood up, walking over to Avarin and standing before him. He easily had a foot on the young archer, and he made sure Avarin noticed this.

"Where have you been?" Avarin didn't falter, keeping his posture solid and eyes forward. He felt an icy drop roll down his back, an unwelcome reminder of how nervous he was. Avarin tried to remember where he had been, and suddenly he found memories to call upon. Large trees brushing the heavens, vibrant colours of the like Noxians would never likely behold. He felt his shoulders relax a little, and allowed himself a deep, calming breath. He looked up, finally meeting his father's eyes. He remembered when he'd looked upon them with pride and compassion. How could he have been so blind? Everything about them screamed bloodlust, from the murky green irises to the red blood-streaks through the whites. There was no love in those eyes, and suddenly Avarin's fear of disapproval dissipated entirely. He smiled, earning the desired snarl from his father.

"I've been in paradise, sir." The following beating was brutal. It may have been some years since his father had served in the military, but he certainly hadn't let his training just disappear. But it wasn't the slap that hurt Avarin the most, it was the look his mother gave him. He looked up at his father, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes. While he'd been confident at first, the look of his mother in tears as he was beaten by his father was heartbreaking. She was family after all. His father stopped for a moment, Avarin just able to see his mother leave the room. The moment she was gone, he retaliated, dashing at the older man's legs and tripping him up. The father hit the floor with a loud thump, but quickly recovered, raising his fists in a typical fighting stance. Avarin wasn't sure what had come over him, he knew he couldn't fight his father, he'd never been stronger than him or had half the training he had. Avarin dashed him again, but this time was less successful. His father expertly sidestepped the weak attempt at a charge, sending a solid jab into Avarin's chest, the hunter groaning as he felt the air leave his lungs. He collapsed on the floor, struggling to regain his breath.

Avarin was lifted up by the collar of his shirt, his incredible strength really beginning to show. He threw Avarin like he weighed little more than an adolescent poro, the young boy screaming as he went crashing through a table. He felt something sticking into his leg, blood pouring down his thigh. He felt woozy, the blood loss getting to his head.

"You are a disgrace to your home. You are blood of Noxus, and you would throw that away? You aren't worthy of your life."

Avarin coughed, a small splattering of blood filling the air in front of him.

"Noxus is not my home." His father came up and grabbed his leg, applying unwanted pressure to the already excruciating wound.

"Once a Noxian, always a Noxian." Avarin shook his head, refusing to believe the words. He felt his eye-lids drooping, consciousness escaping him. He took a shaky breath, refusing to let his deranged father have the final word. But he was in too much pain, his words coming out little more than a gargling of blood. He felt the pressure ease of his wound as his father walked away, not wasting the time or energy to look back. Avarin knew he should have been upset, but he wasn't. In some way he was relieved, that he had finally shown Noxus he was not one of them. He managed a very shaky sigh before closing his eyes for the final time.

The moment everything went black the pain disappeared in an instant, Avarin feeling as though he were floating through the dark void. He thought he was dead at first, then slowly his memories began to return. He breathed a deep sigh of relief; it had all been a dream. He looked down at his leg, the skin blemish free. He shivered; the pain had felt so real. What really concerned hi however wasn't the pain he'd felt, but more how he'd been feeling during the whole thing. It hadn't just felt real, as far as Avarin was concerned it was real. He had absolutely no idea it had all been an apparition until it was finished, and this scared the hunter. Facing a brutal father was one thing, but it was hardly the stuff of Avarin's nightmares. He felt another vision coming on, trying desperately to cling to something the he could carry into the next dream; the Kumungu, his friends, Nidalee.

* * *

The Kumungu, the place never ceased to fill Avarin with an overwhelming sense of fulfilment. Everything seemed alright while he was surrounded by the trees, the subtle sounds of the jungle his only company. He made his way through the jungle, not sure where he was heading, simply enjoying the moment. He wasn't sure how long it had been since he'd left, in fact he wasn't entirely sure if he had, but it felt good to be there. He kept walking, whistling as he did. It was really quite a terrible habit to have in the Kumungu, almost certain to attract predators. But sometime in his adventures he had realised that the predators could not beat him, and in fact many had began to fear or even respect him. It was odd to say that beasts revered him, but that was almost what it felt like.

He kept up his pace before he broke into a clearing, his heart almost skipping a beat at the sight. From the moment he'd left the cliff-top he'd wanted to return to his camp, partly due to nostalgia and partly because he hoped that _she_ would be there. He'd always meant to search but never had, and now he found himself stumbling upon it quite by accident. It was a peculiar twist of fate. He made his way towards the nearest shelter, recognising it instantly as Nidalee's. He pushed aside the flap and peered inside; empty. He sighed, it had probably been wishful thinking on his behalf to believe she'd still be here. For all he knew she'd been hunted down by the Noxians after he disappeared. He stepped inside, taking in the small space. There was a small woven rug which Nidalee had once slept on, and surrounding that was a collection of different flowers and nuts from an assortment of trees. She may seem like a tough huntress, but she loved to keep mementos. Avarin smiled; he'd always loved that about her. One particular trinket caught Avarin's eye, a small coiling of red vine, thorns sharp as knives. He could still see a little dried blood on the tips of them, his hand instinctively going down to his leg where the bramble had caught him.

"Nettleweed." He put the trinket back down, taking in the room one last time before stepping outside. There was a crack of thunder overhead and the sound of rain in the distance. A storm was coming, and luckily for Avarin he had found a shelter to protect him from it. He strolled over to his shelter, hand hovering over the flap for a moment. He'd entered Nidalee's without a problem, so why did he delay now? He shook his head, grabbing the flap and stepping inside. It was exactly as he remembered it, small and simple but comfortable. There was a small log he had used as a table, the hand-woven rug Nidalee had given to him, even the imprint in the dirt where he had once kept his bow. Knowing he couldn't beat the storm, he set his tuff down as he had done in the past and laid down on the mat. It felt good to be back, and Avarin found himself drifting off into a comfortable sleep in no time.

He dreamt of little, nonsense things that managed to bring a smile to his face, and so was disappointed when he felt something running along his body, stirring him from his sleep. His first thought was of snakes, the creatures being known for sneaking into the shelters if the entrance wasn't sealed properly. Knowing that sudden movement would probably get him killed, he slowly reach to the side of him, fingers trading towards what he assumed to be the head. Ina quick motion he grabbed it, eyes shooting open the moment he felt fingers rather than scales. It was night, so the dark obscured most of his vision, but he could tell who it was. He slowly released the fingers, letting them continue their trail along his side. His own hand reach up towards the cheek of his visitor, gently caressing the smooth skin. The foreign hand made its way over his chest and towards his face, returning the gesture. There was a long moment of silence as the two held that position, neither willing to do anything. It was a tense moment, both of them having a million things they wanted to say, but neither with any idea how to start. Avarin felt a few drops of water rolling down the stranger's cheek, but realised they could not be tears. He smiled.

"Did you get caught out in the rain?"

"Not exactly caught, I chose to go for a stroll." Zyra chuckled a little as she removed her hand, Avarin sitting up so they were face to face, his eyes finally adjusting to the darker lighting. The plant mage was beautiful, her eyes glowing in the dim lighting as her hands fiddled with her soaked hair.

"She wasn't here, was she?" Avarin smiled, shaking his head at the question. Zyra stopped her fiddling and put a hand on his shoulder, offering him a sad smile.

"I'm sorry." Avarin chuckled to himself, putting his hand over hers.

"Don't be, have you any idea how much you've done for me? By the gods I must be blind, chasing my ambitions so carelessly." Zyra raised an eyebrow at the strange statement, Avarin leaning over and bringing her closer to the point where their lips were almost touching.

"I love you Zyra." The moment the words left his lips Zyra jumped him, closing what little distance remained between them. Avarin fell backwards, head landing gently on the mat as the kiss continued. Unlike every other time before Avarin did not stop it, he didn't want to. He felt his passion escalate, and soon he found his hands trailing down Zyra's body in a way that he was sure would have made him hang his head in shame under different circumstances. Zyra herself found herself fiddling with the minimal clothing Avarin wore in the jungle, ripping it carelessly from his body. It wasn't long before they were both naked, and still their passion was not sated. He felt Zyra readjust, her unspoken intentions obvious to Avarin. There was a loud, lustful moan from the plant mage, the first of many to follow throughout the night.

Somewhere amongst the pleasure the image got blurry, Avarin losing himself in the moment before he found himself again floating through the void, now fully clothed and devoid of the pleasure he'd been experiencing. The moment he realised what had happened he wanted to be sick. Had he really done that with Zyra? He had finally, after so many damn years, managed to fix things with Nidalee and he had to go do _that_. Was it possible he still felt that way about Zyra? Avarin shook his head, dismissing the thought. Now wasn't the time, the better question was what the hell did this have to do with him becoming a champion? Were the summoners perverted or was having emotions necessary for being admitted. It was confusing, and Avarin really didn't want to think on it for much longer. Thankfully he felt another vision coming on, knowing that he'd seen at least have a small moment during which he could forget the last dream.

* * *

The visions seemed never-ending, one flowing into next with little time for him to adjust in between. He had to relive his fight in the jungle with Rengar, feel the rage the coursed through him. He knew how he'd beaten him last time, so the fight was easy enough, but it felt wrong without the rage he'd felt the first time. One particularly tormenting vision showed him a future where he didn't leave Noxus, fighting alongside commander Riven in the battle for Ionia. He didn't think he'd ever be able to forget the sensation of his skin crawling as he was subjected to Singed's bio-weaponry. Probably the most scaring however was the graveyard, a gloomy garden dotted with headstones, each with a name of a friend. It was a ridiculous vision, the kind of nightmare he'd have expected from a kid, except it had all felt real. He had believed that they were all truly dead, he thought that he knew their bodies were under the ground there. He didn't know it was a nightmare, and so that overwhelming feeling of loneliness had been very confronting.

It wasn't all doom and gloom though. He'd got to experience seeing the Kumungu for the first time, still one of the happiest moments of his life. He'd got to go on his first hunt, tell stories to Nidalee and meditate with Varus. One of the visions even had him shopping with the yordles! Avarin couldn't understand what this actually showed the summoners, but he certainly preferred it the more… intimate yordle vision. It wasn't scaring like the graveyard, to the contrary it had actually been rather fun at times, but it still wouldn't be one he'd easily forget. That wasn't the only weird vision either, some seeming completely random. There was one where he got arrested by the sheriff of Piltover, a woman he knew for a record to be a champion. He got to travel to the Frejlord, a place he had never actually seen, and marry Ashe. He was fairly convinced she had a husband already, so the dream made a total of zero sense to the hunter. He wasn't entirely sure what the summoners were looking for in dreams like that, although part of him felt they were simply a reprieve. The more confronting visions took a lot out of him, and it was nice to go from that to a wedding, or meditation, or some yordle action.

Some of the visions only lasted minutes, while others went on for hours. Avarin felt as though he had been at it for days, but he wasn't exhausted. He had no idea how time translated between his dreams and the summoning council, but that wasn't his concern at the moment. His vision began to fade, and he was entering yet another trial. He recognised the Rift in an instant, the iconic landscape very familiar to him after his games. He was the only one still standing at the fountain, the rest of his team clearly already out on the field. He could feel the presence of a summoner in his mind, which he thought was oddly appropriate given he knew there _were_ summoners in his head. That was when it hit him, he had all his memories. He knew this was a judgement, he could remember every vision from his family through to the graveyard. Was it possible this was an actual match, and they wanted to test his ability to fight? The summoner hadn't mentioned anything like this happening, but it was difficult to explain why this wasn't like all the other visions. The shopkeeper coughed, gaining Avarin's attention. He got his items and made his way into the jungle, going about the routine as per normal. After a few camps he looked towards his lane, assessing any openings that may be present. He didn't have to look far, the enemy top lane being pushed up to turret, already severely battered and bruised. Avarin's teammate wasn't present, but he didn't need him to secure the kill. He made his way up the river, his target still not backing off. This was going to be a walk in the park.

Strangely enough he didn't recognise the champion. She was young, not quite as young as Annie but certainly not old enough to be considered an adult. She was very non-descript in Avarin's eyes, clothing generic, utilising an everyday sword, features refined and attractive but not so much so that they would be memorable. If Avarin had to pick a word to describe her it would be average, everything about her seemed utterly unspectacular. He didn't bother sneaking up on her, walking straight into lane and firing. His first arrow caught her in the leg, the girl letting out a small scream before falling onto the floor, crawling her way towards the bushes. Avarin slowly walked up and stopped her turning her onto her belly and stopping her movement with a foot on her chest. He readied an arrow at her heart, ready to release it. He felt the voice of his summoner in his head, egging him on, but his fingers wouldn't loose the arrow. This wasn't right. Yes, he'd killed people on the rift before, and sometimes it was easy, but this wasn't a killing. This was an execution. The girl had never stood a chance, she never had an opportunity to fight back.

"What are you waiting for champion, do it!" His summoner was yelling at him now, but Avarin couldn't do it. He felt his hands getting clammy, sweat dripping down his forehead. He blinked, and it was no longer some unknown champion, but Tristana looking up at him in absolute fear. She looked so vulnerable, so damaged. He felt his stomach churning, looking away to avoid the sight. He felt a light hand gripping his ankle, and he turned back to now see Zyra reaching up to him, a horrible gash running down her face. Her other hand was reaching for her leg, desperately wanting to remove the arrow from her lag. She was in pain, so much pain. Avarin was shaking now, not sure if he could keep his feet for much longer. He closed his eyes, not baring to see the wounded figure, hoping it would help him. This was the Rift, who knew what he was fighting for or what this kill could mean. Maybe it would allow Ionians to travel freely through Noxian territory. Maybe it would create trade opportunities between Piltover and Zaun.

"You have to do it, you know that." But he couldn't, especially not with that voice. He didn't want to open his eyes, he couldn't bear to see what Nidalee looked like beneath him. He felt a hand reach up to his, egging him on. He gripped the strong tighter, pulling the arrow back a little further. He could feel every muscle in his arm tensing, holding the notched arrow in place. He took a deep breathe, slowly letting one of his fingers slip from the string. There was one finger holding the arrow back, mere millimetres the difference between a life and a death. She'd come back to life in no time, so what was the problem? He took a deep breath, steadying himself.

"Sorry." The last finger slipped, the arrow flying free with a blood-curdling swish.

* * *

There was no void this time, the world seeming to twist and warp before Avarin found himself standing back in the council chamber, breathing heavily after the summoner ended the magical connection. There was a slight pain in the back of his head that he was prepared to blame on the battering his mind had just taken. The summoners were all discussing amongst themselves, murmurings echoing throughout the chamber. The head summoner raised his arms, and the whole chamber fell silent, waiting for something to happen.

"We will start with the smaller states." One by one different summoners stood, either offering Avarin their support or expressing their concerns with him being a champion. He managed to get unquestioned support from Bandle City, the yordle summoner stating their state was more than willing to accept Avarin as one of their own in addition to being a new champion. Bilgewater and Zaun both had concerns due to his rivalry with Noxus, both giving him down votes. The advantage of this though was that Piltover was quick to lend support, determined to spite Zaun in any way possible. With the obvious results out of the way, the attention now fell to the four states that really didn't have much of a stake either way politically. The Shadow Isles were quick to refuse Avarin, giving a small speech about prejudice being given to living representatives, earning a communal groan from the other summoners. This clearly wasn't a new argument. What really surprised Avarin was that Mount Targon denied his request, loyalty to one's home state being too central to their culture for them to accept him. Avarin had met a couple of the Targonian champions, and they had seemed nice enough, he was a little upset to hear them deny his claim. With Targon out of the way, that rounded out the smaller states, leaving Avarin down two votes. He hadn't expected to lose Targon's vote and he didn't know what to think of the Shadow Isles. The high summoner stood again, coughing a little before speaking. He was definitely old.

"We will now hear from the Frejlord." He gestured to the summoner two to his left, just next to the summoner in the crimson robes that Avarin was now assuming the Noxian representative based off the colours. The chosen summoner rose to her feet, and her presence was something else. There was no doubt she represented the Frejlord. If the snow white and silver robes didn't give it away, there was the beautiful crystal headdress that looked as though it were made of pure ice. Then she spoke, the whole rooming seeming to chill as her voice filled the room.

"It is with regret that I saw I have no heard much about Avarin myself, his presence at the Institute being a quiet one with relation to the Frejlord. However, I see as we all did that Avarin holds nothing but warm feelings towards our state, and especially its ruler." The summoner couldn't resist a smile, and a few of the summoners allowed themselves a chuckle. Avarin just blushed.

"I did speak to Ashe about Avarin prior to this judgement, as she claimed to have met him personally." There was a deep laughter, the attention falling away from the Frejlordian summoner.

"Personally, interesting choice of words." The summoner to the right of the head stood, pointing accusingly at the laughing champion, which unsurprisingly was the Noxian.

"Head summoner, this is not acceptable behaviour!" The Noxian summoner looked prepared to respond, but was silenced by the head summoner raising his hands. He looked at the two summoners separately, deliberating his next words.

"You will both get your chance to speak, be patient, and quiet." He made sure to look towards the Noxian summoner as he said this, the latter raising his hands in a sign of defeat. After a small moment of silence the Frejlordian summoner continued.

"Ashe has vouched for his aims and his character, and so he has the support of the Frejlord." With that the summoner sat, offering Avarin a small wink and a smile as she did so. The head summoner nodded, now motioning towards the summoner two to his right. This summoner wore a robe that Avarin could automatically recognise as Ionian. The summoner stood, crossing her arms across her chest and just looking at him for a moment. Just as it seemed the head summoner was going to urge her to continue, she spoke, her voice ringing out with an authority the Frejlordian did not possess.

"We have a saying amongst my people; once a Noxian, always a Noxian. I won't deny it, the first trial was by my request, and although the results of that trial assured me some of the others did not. Ionia encourages the values of balance and patience, and you seem prone to aggression and impulse under trying circumstances. So, the real question I must ask myself is, do I believe you can control these impulses and achieve a degree of balance." She was silent for a moment, letting Avarin think on her words.

"It's a good question, no?" Avarin hung his head, preparing himself for rejection.

"You have my support Avarin." His head instantly shot up, a silent question being posed to the Ionian summoner. She didn't smile, or do anything much to respond, but Avarin got her message. She thought he had a chance. Part of Avarin felt he had Varus to blame for that, and he reminded himself to thank him afterwards.

This left the three lead summoners; Demacia, Noxus and the head summoner, which Avarin assumed represented Shurima and any unaffiliated champions, although he wasn't entirely sure of summoner politics. The Demacian summoner stood first, his blue and gold robes glimmering in the lights. He was very youthful, almost the same age as Avarin, but when he spoke he seemed much older than he appeared.

"I feel I could say anything and my decision will still be put down ultimately to my distaste for Noxians by anyone who hears it. Alas, whether people believe it or not I do care about more than politics in champions. Avarin has shown an incredible tendency for loyalty, not necessarily to his homeland but to his friends and colleagues, which as far as I'm concerned is what really matters. He is not representing Noxus, he is representing the Kumungu, and nothing in his character suggests he should fail to do this." The summoner waited a little before continuing.

"Another part of my job is to keep in touch with the summoner in charge of training him and assess his progress. I will admit he was tentative after some of the early matches, but he has shown a desire to learn and to impress, and I've gotten nothing but shining reviews from the summoner these past few days. And so, considering all aspects presented today, it is a yes from me." He sat, not turning to look at Avarin but instead glaring across at the Noxian summoner. The red-garbed summoner stood, letting out another deep bought of laughter.

"I won't beat around the bush, it is a no from me. Why I hear you ask? He has not shown loyalty, he has shown prejudice. He will fight when he sees personal benefit to himself, whether that be a place to sleep, someone to watch his back, or maybe just a quick screw to keep him warm at night." The Demacian summoner leapt up from his chair, but the head summoner stared him down. The Noxian seemed unfazed, continuing his speech.

"Indeed, I do not see this kind heart you seem to believe exists, but I see aggression and violence, which my Ionian friend here was clever enough to point out but too naïve or confused perhaps to act on." This time the Ionian looked towards the head summoner who turned his attention to the Noxian summoner.

"Summoner, I will remind you to show respect."

"No disrespect intended, I simply am stating my opinion on that matter. This renegade is dangerous, and I would not have him fighting on the Rift." With that the summoner sat down. Avarin counted the votes in his head; five to five. The final vote rested with the head summoner.

"It would seem my vote will decide the fate for the first time in, well, years I do believe. I would like to believe this process has been impartial, but I would be ignorant to not accept that prejudice has heavily tainted your judgement, from both sides. I won't look down on this; imperfection is why we are here after all. If we could all agree without prejudice we would have no wars to begin with, and the Institute would be rendered pointless. No, the political stances of you and your friends are expected to be one-sided, and I doubt there are many affiliated champions out there who vary from you in this way. Thus I will not be basing my decision on this, but on something I find more important." The summoner leant forward, his attention focussed entirely on Avarin.

"I watched your first few games, trying to assess how you would fare against the other champions. The one that stuck most with me was your second game. Most people will remember this for the fight between you and Rengar, but I remember it for what happened after. I saw first hand the fear in the champions eyes after your game, and that gave me doubts. We encourage strong relationships between champions. You are intended to be a family, brothers and sisters to each other." The summoner took a deep breath.

"Then I will admit you surprised me. You managed to befriend Varus, someone I know to be reclusive at the best of times. In fact, my discussions with other champions have shown that you are held in very high regard, even by Noxian champions, much to my colleagues dismay I am sure." The Noxian summoner scoffed at the remark.

"I agree with everything that has been said, that you have a tendency to be impulsive under pressure, which I will not be so quick to condemn. I also agree you are of a kind nature. So, it would appear my decision is obvious." Avarin was prepared to smile. He was expecting a yes, surely after everything the summoner had said he was getting his support. He could see the Demacian summoner relax in his chair, reaching the same decision.

The head summoner leant back, looking around the whole room before issuing his verdict.

"It is a no from me Avarin." The Noxian laughed overtly, the Dmacian looking prepared to protest. Avarin was in shock, not sure how to respond. The head summoner began to expand.

"You are kind hearted, and your feelings towards the champions is certainly what we encourage, but I'm afraid in some cases they are too strong. We do seek justice, and my concern must be with the verdicts that we reach. Not all summoners are competent, and sometimes kills will seem like executions, but for the sake of justice you need to have conviction. I don't have doubts you can kill, but could you execute a friend? I'm afraid the moment you missed that arrow was the moment I made my decision." Avarin thought back to the last trial, how he'd chose to spare the champions life, sending the arrow whizzing into the dirt. Had that really cost him his position as a champion? The head summoner nodded towards the Noxian summoner that stood upon the command, not even attempting to hide his smile.

"Avarin, the council has spoken and your claim has been denied. You will be given a couple of hours to gather your belongings and say your goodbyes before you must leave the Institute. As a reward for your goodwill during your stay the Institute are more than willing to offer transport to your home, if you have something other than a leaf." The Demacian summoner stood up at this, spitting at the Noxian summoner.

"You bastard." The head summoner himself stood, silencing the entire room by throwing his fist on the small bench in front of him.

"I will see both of you in my chambers after this. Avarin, I must ask you to leave. As an expression of our goodwill, we will afford you a full day to prepare. We know this will be tough on you, and we are sorry for any pain our verdict has caused." Avarin forced himself to smile, tears brushing the corner of his eyes. He looked up towards the head summoner, not doing a very good job at hiding his contempt.

"With all respect summoner, I don't think you all are sorry." The Noxian summoner leant back in his chair, smugness overcoming him as Avarin turned around and made his way out of the room. The moment he exited his summoner stood, frowning at the sad look on his face. Avarin barely made it to his summoner before he collapsed into the awaiting arms, tears pouring down his face.

* * *

 **Poor Avarin.**

 **Will get a new chapter out as soon as I stop playing Overwatch!**


	15. Chapter 15

**So, I made a joke when I posted my last chapter about needing to stop playing Overwatch... Hehe... Doesn't feel like a joke anymore...**

 **Anyway, here is the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 15 - Fallout

Avarin was genuinely surprised at how easily his wardrobe shattered. He'd personally been hoping to get a few more hits in before it crumbled, but it only took one swift kick to send splinters flying across his room. It was a disappointing outcome, another one he could add to his disappointing day. He hadn't left the council chambers until the other summoners started leaving the council, not really wanting to have to hear what they had to say. His summoner and him were about to leave for the champion quarters when they were caught up to by the Demacian summoner. Avarin thought he was going to get another apology, but the Demacian's attention wasn't focussed on him.

"I'm sorry, I did what I could." Avarin's summoner chuckled, shaking his head at the statement.

"You told me he was liked, what the hell happened?" The Demacian raised his hands in defence, looking a little offended at the other summoner's outburst.

"He has a violent distaste for Noxus, that lost him three votes straight off the mark. I didn't expect Targon to say no, and I never would have imagined the head summoner would be so against it." Avarin's summoner seemed to be caught a little off guard.

"The head summoner? What did he have against Avarin?" The Demacian shrugged.

"Something about being unable to kill his friends, that he was too biased, volatile, you know the gist."

"Any grounds for appeal?" The Demacian laughed.

"With the head summoner against him? He may just lose more votes, if it's even allowed. Look, I'm due at the head summoner's quarters, damn Noxian was out of line again. I will see what I can do, but no promises." The Demacian put a hand on the shoulder of Avarin's summoner, something unspoken passing between them that earned a sigh from the Demacian. The group separated, Avarin making his way back to his quarters.

He had spent the good portion of an hour throwing his tantrum, the wardrobe the first of many inanimate victims. He wasn't worried about packing or getting ready to leave, he had hardly brought anything with him, he could be ready to go in ten minutes. In some way, being given a whole day was just extending his torture. On the flip side, a whole day probably wouldn't be enough to say all the goodbyes he wanted to, especially if he wanted to see all the champions he had gotten to know. Sometimes it took him more than a day to find some champions; the Institute was a very big place.

First things first, he had a surprise waiting for him. In his anger he had almost forgotten about Zyra's request, that they were waiting for him at the summoning chambers. Even when he did remember, he was reluctant to go. It was one thing saying goodbye to champions he'd got to know, it was another thing entirely to say goodbye to someone like Zyra. How are you supposed to tell your closest friends that you may not be able to see them anymore? At least he had a chance of seeing Zyra in the Kumungu, he would never be able to afford to travel to Ionia and see Varus.

When he finally made his way towards the summoning chamber it was in poor spirits. He'd tried his best to brush up, but his eyes were still a little red from crying. He hoped it would go unnoticed, but he knew his friends better than that. He took a deep breath before rounding the final corner, forcing a smile onto his face at the sight of his friends. There were honestly more people than he'd been expecting, his yordle companions joining Malphite and Maokai amongst the gathered champions. Zyra was the first to approach him, smiling back at him. It wasn't until she got closer that she was able to see the subtle red tint to his eyes, the unmistakeable tears stains dried across his cheeks. She slowed down, her smile vanishing as she shook her head in disbelief. Avarin just nodded, confirming her fears. The rest of the group had caught on by now, Tristana yelling at the top of her lungs, making sure everybody knew exactly how much she hated the decision. Varus seemed contemplative as always, but Avarin knew him well enough to know he was furious. They all were actually, none of them quite able to believe he'd been denied. The only one that didn't seem angry was Zyra, who seemed more distraught than furious.

"How'd they say no?" Avarin stepped forward and embraced her, self-pity set aside as he tried to comfort her.

"Turns out disliking Noxus doesn't work in your favour." The two stood there together in silence for some time, everyone else in the room debating amongst themselves. Eventually they broke apart, Avarin approaching the rest of his friends. The room instantly fell silent. He looked at every person individually, savouring this moment. He sighed, running a hand through his hair before speaking.

"I don't really know what to say. I'm obviously upset, that seems pretty damn apparent. I don't want to bore you with details and excuses, and I think you all would agree some of the stuff you see in your judgement is best staying there. What I can say however is that every memory I have of you, whether it was in the judgement or before, is happy. Even when testing me they could not make me see you in a bad light, and so I suppose that speaks for itself in a way." Avarin paused for a while, not sure what else to say. Anything else just seemed pointless, they knew how much they meant to him, and words would never do that justice.

"You know what, all this crap is ruining my mood. Now I was promised a surprise, not counselling, so what say we put this time to good use?" There was an enthusiastic roar from Rengar, the rest seeming to lighten up a little. Zyra even managed a smile.

"Do you want red or blue side?" Avarin smiled, realising his surprise.

"You sure I'm still allowed to use the Rift?"

"You have until you leave the Institute, so you should be fine." Varus' answer didn't do much to reassure Avarin.

"Should? And if I'm not?" Varus shrugged.

"Then you won't be leaving the Institute after all." It was a rather unsettling joke, but at this point Avarin was happy to hear any kind of humour. He gave his friend a clap on his back, looking over the group.

"I'll take blue side, which means I pick first yeah?" Rengar growled, a smile crossing his features; even in sad times the idea of fighting seemed to get him going.

"I'm red then, but I get first pick. After all, your first pick would have to be yourself, and mine myself." Avarin almost smiled, welcoming the competition. He motioned for Rengar to take it away, the hunter looking over the gathered crowd in contemplation.

"I'll take Varus." The Ionian shrugged, walking over and standing behind the hunter, winking at Tristana who he assumed would be his opposition. Avarin was thinking down the same vein, picking the yordle gunner next. As per the Institute's standards he had another pick, and he wasted no time in deciding who was next.

"Zyra." The plant mage smiled, glad to have been chosen for Avarin's team. She joined Tristana with Avarin as Rengar made his next decisions.

"Malphite and Poppy." Avarin raised an eyebrow at his opponent.

"Looking for a good tank line are we?" Rengar smiled.

"Well, you never did deal well with good peel." Avarin scoffed.

"You greatly underestimate my abilities friend." This gave Avarin another two picks, and doing a quick head count realised there was a problem.

"I'll take Maokai and Lulu, but that seems to be the last of our group. You weren't planning on going in four verses five were you?" Rengar smiled a toothy grin, nodding towards the corner of the room. Avarin turned to face that direction, realisation hitting him.

"I'll take Nidalee." The huntress walked over to Rengar, refusing to meet Avarin's eyes, although he could tell she'd been crying. He was a little annoyed at Rengar's trick, if he'd known Nidalee was playing he'd have taken her first pick. Presumably that was supposed to be another surprise, but it now just left a sour taste in Avarin's mouth. The two teams separated, doing a quick analysis of team compositions and strategies. It was going to be an interesting match up, Rengar's team having heavy poke with a strong tank line for disengage, as well as Rengar to pick off people caught in rotation. Avarin's team on the other hand really wants to team-fight, preferably with the other team engaging on them while they kite back with Zyra and Lulu. Dragon and Baron would be massive objectives to play around for them, as long as they don't take too much poke before hand. All these thoughts rushed through Avarin and Rengar's minds in a mere moment before they explained their respective strategies to their team, the stakes of this game higher than any Avarin had dealt with so far; pride.

The group made their way onto the rift, buying their items and quickly heading into lane. The atmosphere of a match is so much different when even the enemies are friends. You don't get frustrated when the opponent out-trades you, you can laugh at your mistakes without fear of seeming weak and vulnerable. Avarin breathed a deep sigh as he set himself up next to where he knew his first camp would soon be appearing, striking up a conversation with the yordle bot-lane. It was completely meaningless stuff mostly, but it managed to send a warm feeling throughout Avarin's body. He was really going to miss Tristana.

The early game passed quickly with minimal gold separating the two teams. Bot lane had won the farm war due to the double-ranged yordle duo, but had also given up a kill courtesy of a Rengar gank, so that was pretty even. Avarin was fairly sure Malphite and Maokai were spending more time talking to each other top lane than actually fighting, but hey, it was supposed to be a social game. Avarin himself had spent most of his time counter-jungling, hoping to pick a fight with Rengar but failing to find him. While Rengar was playing around his side lanes, Avarin kept finding himself drawn back to mid lane. It was a really close lane, and both mages refused to back down. Nidalee had demolished Zyra with her poke, easily dropping her to a quarter health before messing up an all in and being counter-traded so she was also sitting on a quarter health. Both mages refused to back, almost relishing in the intensity of the moment. One mistake could mean your life. He wasn't sure if he wanted to gank it and ruin the incredible one verses one that was going on, but he knew that was what a good jungler should do. That was until he felt the hair on his neck stick up, the faint sound of water being disturbed in the river putting his senses on edge. He couldn't see anybody, but that didn't mean much in terms of Rengar being around. He also knew that he wouldn't be the feline's target.

"Zyra, get out of their, Rengar's around!" The plant mage reacted instantaneously, bolting for the tower as Avarin ran into lane, the hunter threatening a shot in Nidalee's direction and forcing her to pounce away herself. As expected, Rengar suddenly appeared out of nowhere, leaping onto Avarin and tackling him to the ground. Avarin knew how to play this fight, waiting for Rengar to throw his bola before responding. It was hard at such a close range, but Avarin knew his opponent well enough to act in advance. The moment he saw Rengar's fingers shift to his bola, Avarin did a quick roll and flash towards his tower, the bola missing by a small mile. He fired a few shots back at the cat to equalise the trade, then the two of them slinked off back into the jungle. In the end, a lot of show for not many results.

While the junglers little scuffle had taken place, both the mid lanes had managed to do a quick recall and make their way back towards their lane. Avarin managed to catch Zyra along the way, the plant mage stopping him in his tracks.

"I'm going to head top and see if I can get those two to actually do something this game. Hold mid for me?" Avarin smiled at the plan, but was confused by the last part.

"Hold mid? That'll just give it away." Zyra nodded before turning and heading top side.

"Yes, but there is also a huntress in the mid lane dying to talk to you." Avarin gulped, he really was not prepared to face her yet. Zyra however either didn't notice or didn't care about this, already making her way through the jungle. With no small degree of reluctance, Avarin made his way into mid lane, taking up a position to farm the minions while Nidalee just stared at him. It was ok for a little, Nidalee just last hitting and watching him, but after a full wave it became a little uncomfortable.

"Are you just going to stare at me this whole time?" Nidalee blushed, transforming into her cougar form and finishing off a collection of minions in a heartbeat before reverting forms, her blush now gone. Avarin smiled at the little trick. Nidalee stuck her spear into the ground, leaning back against it and taking a deep breath.

"I can't lose you again." Avarin didn't have a response to this, lazily using his hunting knife to slice his way through another poor spirit. Nidalee missed a couple of kills waiting for him to respond, before sighing and returning to her farm. Avarin felt pathetic, ignoring her like he did, but he had nothing constructive to say on the matter. Zyra still wasn't returning, Avarin noticing her making her way to bot lane. Nidalee noticed this too, but made no move to alert her team. She clearly wanted to say something, but Avarin was not making it easy on her.

"Look on the bright side, you now have a legitimate reason to hate me." Nidalee growled, hurling a spear in his direction. It was a good throw, Avarin needing to tumble to the side in order to avoid being impaled. He looked to Nidalee, asking the silent question; what the fuck was that?

"How can you make a joke like that at a time like this?" Avarin quickly drew an arrow, this time forcing Nidalee to quickly transform and pounce to the side in order to avoid the attack. She recovered quickly, leaping towards Avarin and taking a swipe at his face. Avarin raised his blade just in time to stop the clws from meeting his flesh, using Nidalee's own momentum to throw her to the side.

"What do you want me to say? Oh shit, sorry, seems that I screwed everything up and now have to return to the Kumungu. I'm sorry for leading you on, but this is goodbye. Is that what you want to hear me say?" Nidalee let out some primal sound that could almost have been a scream before lunging at Avarin with her fists, trying to lay a hand on the hunter. Avarin retaliated by grabbing her tiny fists in his much larger hands, trying to make her stop. This wasn't the calculated fighting of a champion from the Institute, but instead the pained frustration of a heartbroken woman. As such, even though she was hopelessly overpowered, Nidalee kept pushing and pushing until, after tripping on the cloak of an unfortunate minion, Nidalee and Avarin were sent collapsing onto the ground. Avarin grunted as he rolled onto his side, finding himself face to face with the huntress, tears filling her bloodshot eyes.

"I just want you to say that everything is ok, that it doesn't matter what they say or do."

"Even if that's a lie? I am leaving, nothing is going to change that." Nidalee pulled herself closer, nuzzling her face into Avarin's chest.

"I know, I just don't want this to be the end. I could travel to the Kumungu when I'm not needed here." Avarin chuckled at this, wrapping an arm around her back as she snuggled closer.

"All, what, three weeks a year? You deserve better than that."

"I don't want better, I want you." Avarin smiled to himself, fully aware he'd made the exact same argument yesterday. She slowly looked up at him, her eyes a mixture of pleading and sadness, but with a slight tint of contentment, no doubt at being in his arms. Avarin leant down and softly gave her a kiss, Nidalee leaning up into it in an attempt to prolong it, but Avarin wasn't prepared to sit around kissing all game.

"I love you Nidalee, and once we finish this match I swear I'll figure out something. I don't want to lose you either." Nidalee blushed, wrapping her arms around Avarin's neck and hiding in his collar, mumbling out a response.

"I love you too." Avarin stood up, lifting Nidalee with him. The two brushed off some of the dirt before parting ways, Avarin heading into the jungle while Nidalee recalled.

The game progressed in much the same way, mid lane incredibly close, neither having suffered a death thus far. Maokai and Malphite, despite both Zyra and Rengar managing to get them some kills, seemed content on tanking up and playing extremely passive. They had at least started trading, but with their builds it was little more than watching two giants flicking each other to death before deciding it is futile. Bot lane was in shambles, both Rengar and Avarin deciding this was the lane to play around. There were about ten kills spread amongst the supports and carries on both sides, and as a result the lane was still balanced out. Dragons were taken evenly, towers were always traded rather than giving an advantage. It wasn't until Avarin made the bold call of Baron that it looked like one team was finally going to get an advantage. Rengar knew he had little chance other than a steal, mostly because Zyra and Tristana would turn an engage so quickly if Malphite missed his ult. Avarin, realising the same thing, was ready however, managing to out smite Rengar before the team turned on him, securing the kill. After thirty minutes of deadlock, Avarin could only smile at having an advantage. Lulu and Tristana had already recalled while the rest had finished off Rengar.

Avarin started his recall, granting himself a perfect view of the spear flying from the enemy jungle and straight into Zyra. The plant mage screamed, and both Avarin and Maokai cancelled their recalls to try and help her. That was their first mistake. The moment the two of them moved to protect Zyra they were hit by a Malphite ult, the rest of Rengar's team collapsing out of the jungle. Avarin was sure Lulu and Tristana would be on their way up, but no doubt they'd be too slow. Zyra was the first to fall, suffering her first death of the game. Avarin managed to sprint away from the group, but Maokai was not so lucky, going down as well. He met up with the remaining members of his team in his jungle as they retreated to their base, but the enemy weren't finished yet. Another perfect spear connected with Lulu, almost taking her down by itself, but still requiring Nidalee to leap over the wall and finish her off. This left Avarin and Tristana with the cougar, a fight they were convinced they could take. Avarin dove in first, managing to connect a point blank arrow to the cougar's leg. Nidalee didn't break stride however, completely ignoring Avarin and diving towards Tristana, clawing at the small yordle. She managed to use her gun to jump away, but Nidalee was quick and managed to connect yet another spear, readying for another jump. Avarin however had recovered, lining up another shot. Just as he was about to release the arrow he faltered, the thoughts of killing Nidalee rushing to his mind. He thought back to everything the high summoner had said, the old man's voice tormenting him. He shook himself out of his trance and loosed the arrow, which found itself stuck in the ground where Nidalee had been a good second earlier, just before she finished off the yordle. Now alone, Nidalee slinked off to meet up with her team, fully aware Avarin could not stop her team from pushing by himself. Three turrets and an inhibitor later, Rengar was walking off the summoning platform laughing loudly to himself as Avarin could do nothing but smile at the antics.

"Well played, pity you couldn't win your last match."

"Ah well, about right it was my mistake that lost it in the end. Well played though." Avarin was distracted by Nidalee coming up and wrapping her hand in his, reminding him of his promise.

"If you guys will all excuse me, I have somewhere to be."

"That's a shame, I was hoping I could have a quick chat." The room went dead silent, some of the champions even bowing at the new person in their company. Avarin however did not bow.

"Head summoner, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"That is best discussed in private. Shall we?" The head summoner motioned down the hall, Avarin moving to follow only to be pulled back by Nidalee, her eyes pleading for him to stay with her.

"He'll be back my dear, I can promise you that." Avarin just nodded at the words, Nidalee finally willing to let him go. Avarin and the summoner made their way out of the room and down the hall, continuing in an uncomfortable silence until they, Avarin assumed, were out of earshot.

"I must again express my apologies at the decision of the council, it is not often a champion who is so liked gets denied." Avarin grunted.

"No offence sir, but your vote was what decided it, so your apology seems a little half-hearted."

"I must act in the best interest of the Institute, not its champions and summoners. I can't take on a champion if I fear it could be unjust." Avarin completely ignored the explanation.

"I'm assuming you didn't come here to explain yourself again, so what exactly do you want?" The summoner hobbled over and leant against the wall, releasing a small chuckle that Avarin thought was in very poor humour.

"I want to offer you a job." Avarin was dumbstruck, fairly convinced his jaw hit the ground at the comment. Recovering, he gradually came to terms with what was requested of him.

"Sir, I don't know if you've realised, but I don't have any magic, so I don't have much potential as a summoner." The summoner left his wall, putting an arm around Avarin's shoulder and leading him over to a nearby window overlooking the Institute grounds.

"Tell me what you see." Avarin took a moment to take in the view, the beautiful gardens feeling all too familiar to him after his time here.

"I see a garden."

"And who do you think looks after that garden?" Avarin turned to the summoner, a questioning look on his face.

"You want to hire me as a gardener?" The summoner chuckled to himself, shaking his head.

"No, I would hate to waste your talents like that. My point is there is a lot more that happens at the Institute than just matches. We have gardeners, janitors, chefs and the like. We also have our own ambassadors and political figures when dealing with city-states. We also have recruiters, public figure heads, and probably least well known are trainers." Avarin was silent, waiting for the summoner to continue.

"Didn't you ever wonder why summoner Detrion never mentioned any champions aside from you?" Avarin frowned, realisation dawning on him as he finally learnt his summoner's name.

"He's Noxian?" The summoner nodded.

"I wondered if he ever told you his name, surprised he didn't actually. May have won over some more votes." Avarin shook his head.

"I doubt it. I didn't do a very good job hiding my distaste for Noxians. I think I owe him an apology."

"Well, you can have plenty of time for that as you work with him."

"You want me to be a trainer?" The summoner nodded, reaching into his robes and pulling out a small object that he kept hidden in his hand.

"I stand by what I said, your friends mean more to you than anything else in this world, and I believe this is a great attitude to have at the Institute. This is especially true with prospectus champions, some of which have great potential but desperately need to find a home within the Institute, a home I am sure you and your friends can help with." The summoner extended his arm, opening up his hand and revealing a small amulet, an intricate rune in the centre. He'd seen similar amulets in the hands of different summoners around the Institute, it was a badge of service to the Institute and what it stands for. A sign of peace.

"You can keep your current room with the champions, and I'll even authorise you to access the arenas should you and your friends wish to have more events like the one this evening. You will also be allowed to compete in matches as a summoner, although if you wish to pursue that path further you will be required to practice summoning magic, a program which is also accessible to you should you want it. You should know that you are being afforded luxuries that most aren't, but given your situation I am content that this will be met with limited complaints." With that the summoner went silent, Avarin unable to do anything but stare at the amulet in his hand. It wasn't the job that had him in such a state, but the simple reality of his situation. He didn't have to leave. He felt a tear in the corner of his eyes, a tear he didn't try to hide wiping away. The summoner smiled at him, waiting patiently for Avarin's response.

"If you'll excuse me summoner, it seems that I have a wardrobe to replace." The summoner chuckled to himself.

"Already sorted. I expect you to be ready for work in two days, at which point you should report to Detrion for your robes. I look forward to seeing you around the Institute. Now go talk to Nidalee, poor dear has never looked so upset." With that the summoner offered a small bow, which Avarin returned, before heading off down the hall. Avarin made his way back to the summoning chamber, his friends still gathered around, chatting amongst themselves. Zyra spotted him first, hitting Nidalee in the shoulder to get her attention. Soon the whole group was silent, looking at Avarin expectantly. Slowly he raised his hand, letting the amulet hang from his hand as he smiled. The next few minutes were a blur of cheers and hugs, his friends barely giving him room to breathe let alone talk. The party continued from the summoning chambers to a bar and then back to his quarters, at which point the group slowly dissipated until only three of them remained. Avarin pulled both Zyra and Nidalee into a warm hug, knowing that he'd never have to let either of them go again.

* * *

 **So, I don't like to extend stories too far past their end, and this is obviously approaching it. I can guarantee one more chapter, but that will probably be it. Is it the end of Avarin all together after that? Absolutely not! He's a fairly well developed character in my head now, and there will always be summoners at the Institute in my stories. He could make an appearance in another story, or get another one all for himself if I get an idea. If you really like this, be sure to try 'The Heartseekers' and 'Sentimental', one of which is ongoing, one of which has a potential second part, and both of which I would love to have you guys read.**

 **-BJ**


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